The Vampire's Bride
by When the Sun Rises
Summary: She only agreed to marry him to save her kingdom, Drew told himself; nothing more, nothing less. Why else would she choose to spend the rest of her life with him? She could never love a monster. A Contestshipping fic
1. Chapter 1, The Proposal

Chapter updated on October 08, 2016.

Changes: added details and basic error correction

* * *

May smiled as she watched her brother, Max, play with their German Shepherd, Roger. The boy and the dog were in the courtyard playing what seemed to be a game of make-shift tag. He was going to get his clothes dirty, May shook her head. But he laughed loudly while Roger covered his face in slobber, and she dismissed it.

Ever since their parents died, Max had trouble smiling the way he was smiling now. Only May found the strength to move on from the tragedy. Not because she was the older sibling, but because she was the princess of their kingdom. King Norman and Queen Caroline sacrificed their lives for the sake of their nation. May wasn't going to let them die in vain.

To her dismay, she was still a princess, not a queen. Her half-uncle, Davian Flachard, insisted he take over. May was an unmarried woman, and Max was under-age, he argued. Until Max turned eighteen, Davian was to take the throne.

May didn't like her half-uncle. He was a selfish, greedy man that treated her and her brother poorly. He expressed formalities in front of others but revealed his true nature when no one else could hear. Davian didn't care for the prince and princess nor anyone else. He only wanted the crown.

"Your Highness."

May stepped away from the balcony's railing. A maid, Amaya, was standing by her door.

May approached her. "What is it?"

"King Davian requested to pack your belongings," Amaya answered. "Servants will arrive in your chamber shortly with bags."

"What?" May asked. "But why? Why is he asking me to pack?"

Amaya looked down, her shoulders trembling. "The Vampire Kingdom had declared war."

May widened her eyes.

"They're going to attack."

~.~

"Uncle!"

A broad-shouldered bald man in a white suit turned to his right. May stomped to the center of the throne room, her heels echoing through the expanse.

"Maybelline," King Davian straightened himself on his chair. "What brings you here?"

"Is it true?" May questioned. "Are vampires really coming to the kingdom?"

Davian frowned. Her question might be a serious one, but he still didn't approve of the way she spoke to him. "Yes."

May gasped.

"Hey, what's going on?" Max marched into the room. "Are vampires really going to attack us?"

"Maxomillian!" Davian scolded. The children were being more disrespectful than usual. "How dare you enter the throne room without permission!"

"I can come in here whenever I want!" Max waved a finger. "You may be sitting in that chair, but this is our kingdom!"

"Not at this moment, it isn't!" Davian stood. "I am your king, and you shall treat me as such!"

"Don't speak to my brother that way!" May lashed out, standing between the two. "Now tell us! Why are vampires coming to our kingdom?"

Davian scowled. How dare they speak to him in such a way! If they weren't the children of his damned brother, he would've had them killed where they stood! But they were, so he contained himself. He couldn't lose his patience in front of the pests, especially now that a dire situation was at hand.

"Because they are monsters, Maybelline," he answered in the most steady voice he could muster. "And monsters destroy what doesn't belong to them. That is why I asked you and your brother to leave the kingdom—so you could be safe."

"Lies!" May barked, surprising the men. "You just want us to leave so you can have the kingdom for good!"

Davian gasped. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing!" he hissed. "I could arrest you for treason!"

"But you won't," May defied, "because it's true."

"Maybel—"

"You never cared about us," she insisted. "You never cared about our family! You purposely took the throne from me so you can have the kingdom to yourself!"

She didn't mean to persist. Even if her words were justified, it wasn't in her nature to blurt out whatever came to her mind. But she couldn't hold her words any longer. She knew her uncle was cruel and inconsiderate, but never thought he would be wicked enough to endanger their land. The joy she saw in her brother, the joy she had hoped to see since their parents had died, was becoming a distant dream. If her brother couldn't regain peace, what of her people?

"Outrageous," Davian seethed, "and to think I wanted to protect you."

"Save it, Davian!" Max interjected, determined by his sister's support. "No vampires are coming here, and you're goin—"

An explosion rattled the building. May and Max turned to every direction as screams echoed through the walls. Another explosion ignited then, causing the chandelier above May to break off and plunge toward the princess.

"May, watch out!"

May yelped when her brother tackled her to the side. She shielded her face as the illumination crashed where she had just been.

"My king!" a servant burst into the room. His uniform was ruffled, and his hair stuck out in different directions. "The vampires! They're attacking the kingdom!"

The siblings gasped.

"How many are there?" Davian inquired.

"Far too many!" the servant screamed. "We're holding them off as long as we can, but they're c—"

The double doors of the entrance burst from their hinges. May screamed as Max shielded her from the debris. The leader and king of the vampire race, Andrew Hendercort, stood prominently at the entrance. A line of soldiers emerged behind him, their eyes flashing red with hunger.

"King Davian," Andrew spoke, his voice deep and arrogant. "Not so mighty now that I've caught you off-guard, are you?"

Davian growled at the offending man but recoiled when the soldiers stepped forward. "Leave this kingdom immediately," he commanded.

"Really, Davian?" Andrew crossed his arms. "Like how you left mine? Because you didn't. You tried to take it over and failed. You did cause damage, however. Perhaps you could repay me with the blood of your citizens."

May gasped. She then advanced forward before Max could stop her. "You, greedy fool!"

Andrew turned to her and raised an eyebrow.

"You endangered the lives of our soldiers AND tried to overtake another kingdom's land?" May demanded, her chest heaving up and down. "The vampires aren't the monsters; YOU are!"

"My, my," Andrew smirked as he made his way to the princess. "What a beautiful and passionate lady."

May froze as his tall form encircled her. His red eyes glinted as he looked her up and down.

"Leave her alone!"

Andrew spun and growled. Max had his foot forward and his fists raised. The king unsheathed his fangs and marched toward him.

"Wait!"

Andrew stopped.

"Please don't hurt my brother," May pleaded. She knelt down, surprising everyone in the room. "Please forgive my brother and my uncle for causing you harm. I will pay whatever price you ask. Just, please; don't attack our people."

Andrew raised his chin and encircled her again. May kept her eyes on the ground and ignored the way he looked at her. The king held an unreadable expression, so only he knew how impressed he was. Many people have bowed to him before, but never an enemy. A royal enemy, no less. Most royals would rather die than beg for mercy. The princess, on the other hand, wasn't just begging; she was begging politely.

Andrew smirked, "I will spare your kingdom..." he lifted her chin. "If you marry me."

May stopped breathing.

Max staggered back. "N—" But he stopped himself before he said anything. He remembered what happened the last time he spoke out and didn't want the situation to be worse than it just became.

Davian stared at May, his eyes and mouth agape.

"M-marry me?" May stammered.

"Yes, Princess..."

May yelped when she suddenly stood up.

"Marry me," Andrew breathed.

May trembled. The vampire king didn't just drink blood; he controlled it.

"B-but why?" she asked, resisting the urge to embrace herself. "I'm a m-mortal."

"Oh, Princess," Andrew traced a finger down her jaw. "That can always change."

Max couldn't hold himself back anymore. "Don't do it, May!"

Andrew frowned and turned to him again.

"We'll save the kingdom another way!" Max continued. "You don't have to do this!"

"I suggest you consider your words, Prince," Andrew warned him. "Your kingdom is at my mercy. The only reason it still stands is because I will it!"

"I'm not scared of you!" Max remarked. " _We're_ not scared of you! Right, May?"

But to his horror, his sister looked defeated. She shook her head and gazed at him with teary eyes.

"No!" Max shook his head. "May, you can't give up!"

"The choice is yours, Princess," Andrew turned back to May. "Marry me or watch your people die."

"Don't do it, May!" Max pleaded.

"If I marry you," May uttered, "will my brother and people be safe?"

"May!"

"You have my word," Andrew extended his hand. "So, will you marry me?"

"May, no!"

"Yes," May accepted. "I will."

"NO!"

Max charged towards the couple, but they vanished before he got to them. When they reappeared, they stood before the king's soldiers.

"Wise decision, Princess," Andrew sneered. He held May against his chest, a tip of his incisor grazing her neck.

Max ran to them. "May, no!"

"I love you, Max," May whimpered. "I love you so much."

Max leaped forward, but May, as well as Andrew and his soldiers, disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2, The Engagement

Chapter updated on March 13, 2016.

* * *

May gasped when Max suddenly disappeared. It wasn't until she saw the castle gates did she realize that _she_ was the one that left.

Her heart, which was already aching, shattered. She could imagine her brother at the castle, a mixture of sadness and betrayal on his face. She hoped he wasn't too angry with her and understand that she did what she did to not only save their kingdom but him as well. She also hoped he wasn't too sad. After all, the only family he had left had abandoned him.

May cupped her mouth. Her knees gave out beneath her, and she collapsed onto the dirty ground. May leaned towards her knees and cried. Her tears trickled down her lashes and landed on her dress.

"Hey."

May gasped. When she looked up, the vampire king was looking down at her, smirking.

"I appreciate the gesture," Andrew said, "but a king's fiancé kneeling before him is a little pathetic, don't you think?"

May scowled.

"I'm not saying you shouldn't do it again, though," Andrew added. "As a matter of fact, you can do it again on our honeymoon."

May gasped. "You," she growled, "are a _sick_ man!"

"I'm also your king," Andrew remarked, taking pleasure from the look on her face, "but if you're going to be my wife I suppose we can dismiss the formalities. Call me 'Drew.'"

May froze. That was right; she was engaged to the pervert. It took every ounce of her strength not to scream in frustration. She wanted to marry someone she loved, not someone who threatened to destroy her kingdom. When she imagined her engagement, this was not what she had in mind. But then she remembered why she agreed to it. The engagement wasn't for her; it was for her kingdom. She swore in the name of her mother and father that she would take care of it, and did she not? What would've happened if she declined the vampire's proposal? Would the kingdom still be standing? Would her brother still be alive?

Drew frowned. The princess had yet to react to his words. She was staring off into space, conflicted with whatever it was she was thinking about. He could tell from the look on her face they weren't happy thoughts. He didn't expect them to be but he was still irked. What happened to the fiery, hot-tempered woman he proposed to back at the castle? He wanted to poke fun at her, not watch her stare off into space.

Drew crossed his arms. Maybe he should go back on his word and slaughter her people. _That_ would get a reaction out of her. Then he realized just thinking about it made him desperate. There had to be another way to get her going. Maybe a nickname?

Drew froze. He didn't know her name. How could he come up with a nickname if he didn't even know her _real_ name? He was sure her brother yelled it continuously at the castle but he never registered the word. Why would he? He wasn't looking at the princess's _name_.

"Hey," Drew called out again. The princess snapped out of her thoughts and glared at him. Drew smirked. "What's your name?"

May blinked. Her name? The almighty vampire king proposed and came on to her and he didn't even know her name? She crossed her arms. "Why do you want to know?"

"So I could scream it in our honeymoon," Drew answered, "if you're good enough, that is."

The princess's cheeks immediately turned red. Drew almost laughed out. The princess was restraining herself so hard from hitting him. Maybe he didn't need a nickname after all; riling her up was easier than he thought.

"You're a pervert!" the princess stood up, eyes alight with fire. "How could a king like you have such a vulgar mind?"

"It's quite simple, my dear," Drew grinned. "Dirty thoughts come easy when you're looking at a dirty girl."

The princess gaped. Then, as he anticipated, she tried to slap him. Tried, but her movements were too slow. She honestly didn't think a mortal like her could lay a finger on him, did she? But she didn't stop at the first attempt. She continued to come at him, and he continued to dodge. He could tell the princess was tiring out, but her growing frustration kept her going. This pleased Drew to no end. The princess didn't just have attitude; she had stamina. And she was still a mortal too! How much more if he turned her into a beast?

Then the princess stopped. She continued to glare at him but kept her fists at her sides. Her hair was disheveled and her face was covered with dirt and sweat. Dirty girl, Drew sneered. He imagined many ways to "clean" her up. He was about to tell her too so she would erupt like a volcano, but something in her eyes stopped him. Something wet and shiny.

"Let's just go," the princess croaked, crossing her arms and turning away. She trudged toward his soldiers, which Drew forgot were there, and stopped before she got too close.

Drew frowned. There was a difference between annoyed and upset and the princess was definitely upset. Upset didn't make him amused; it made him sad. The fact that he couldn't see her face made things worse. "Hey," he called out. The princess didn't look at him but he knew she heard him. "You seriously weren't offended by my words were you?"

That got her to turn around. "Your words?" the princess glowered. "You think your _words_ are upsetting me right now?"

Drew raised an eyebrow.

"I'm leaving my brother and kingdom behind to marry an insensitive, perverted jerk, and you think your _words_ are the worst thing I'm dealing with right now?" the princess demanded. Her chest was heaving, and her eyes were even shinier than before. Her voice was practically cracking now. If she spoke anymore, she would truly break down to tears.

Drew turned away when he realized something. He was so used to getting what he wanted from people he forgot to consider their feelings. He felt like a monster that moment, and that was something considering he _was_ a monster. He looked back at the princess's kingdom. Just as he ordered, his soldiers were returning. That, he noticed, made the princess sigh in relief.

A carriage descended behind them. It was a large compartment with ebony walls streaked with gold swirls. Pulling it by the harnesses was a quartet of pegai. Their black coats glistened in the sunlight; their eyes gleamed red like orbs of blood. The pegai tucked their wings and looked at their king, waiting for the order to take off. When the princess saw the vehicle, Drew swore she would've broken down at the spot. She looked like she was going to beg for him to consider and he mentally prepared for his response. But the princess did no such thing. Instead, she allowed herself to be escorted by the carriage's driver. Her fists gripped the hems of her dress but her face looked defeated.

Drew watched as she entered the carriage, a frown set upon his face. The princess still had fire but it was smaller, more controlled. If he were to guess, she was probably behaving so he wouldn't change his mind about the engagement. She only agreed to marry him to save her kingdom; Drew told himself. Nothing more, nothing less. Why else would she agree to this? Why else would she choose to spend the rest of her life with him? She could never love a monster.

And he was the biggest monster in all the land.

~.~

Max stormed into the council room. The door hit the wall so hard the knob nearly left a dent. The council members, who were waiting in their seats at the round table, jumped at his sudden presence. "Prince Maxo—"

"Who," Max's chest heaved, "authorized the attack on the Hendercort kingdom?"

The members looked at each other, their expressions equally confused.

"Answer me!" Max demanded. "Who authorized the attack?"

No one responded. Max clenched his fists, his teeth grinding in rage. He was about to yell again when a male council member, Cornelius, stood up. "None of us had authorized an attack," he explained. "When King Davian left the kingdom with our soldiers, he said it was to train them. We didn't know he was going to attack the Hendercort Kingdom."

Max's eyes widened. "So you didn't know."

"No," another member, Elsaba, answered. "It seems the king has deceived us."

"He has abandoned us too," Max marched to the table. "After Hendercort and his soldiers left, King Davian fled. I tried to stop him, but he was too quick."

"This is treason," another council member, Thebes, stated.

"Yes," Elsaba agreed, "we shall arrange a search party and put him on trial immediately."

" _Trial_?" Max slammed his fists on the table. The members jumped, staring at him with wide eyes. "The man took the throne from my sister, sent our soldiers to their deaths, and abandoned the kingdom!" he reminded them. "King Davian shouldn't have a trial—he should have a _death sentence_!"

"We understand your anger, Prince Maxomillian," Cornelius told him, "but to uphold the justice system in our kingdom we have to give every accused person a fair trial. Your parents established it themselves to establish peace in our kingdom."

"Don't talk about my parents and justice!" Max seethed. "You took the throne from us and gave it to a man that's only half-related to us! If any of you really want to uphold my parents' wishes and establish true justice in the land, decide who your loyalty stands with—me, or Davian!"

"You cannot make demands like that, Prince," another council member, Trinidad, stated. "We can, and probably will, remove King Davian from his duties but you are still not of age to replace him. If we are to bestow rule to a new monarch, it has to be to Princess Maybelline."

Max stiffened, standing straighter to look them in the eyes once again. "You can't," he stated, "she's no longer here."

"What?" Elsaba stood from her chair. "Where is Princess Maybelline?" The council members waited for an answer, but the prince hid his eyes, shaking.

"Prince," Cornelius asked, "where is the princess?"

Max looked up, glaring at the aged man. "With King Hendercort," he hissed. "She married him to save our kingdom."

The council expressed different reactions. Some stood from their seats, some proclaimed blasphemy, and a few sat frozen in their chairs. Princess Maybelline was a beloved figure in the Petalburg Kingdom. To have her leave without notice—to get married no less—was like losing her to death. But Max didn't look like he was being dishonest. In fact, he seemed to be the most shaken of them all.

The chaos in the council room eventually died down. The council members eventually settled back on their chairs, shaken by the tragic news. They looked back at the prince. Max was still standing. His eyes were still hidden, and his fists were still clenched on the table.

"What do you suggest we do now," Cornelius lowered his head, "my king?"

"Find the traitor, Davian..."

Max looked up.

"And put him to death."

~.~

Drew was absolutely lost.

Ever since the princess entered the carriage, her face had been more blank and unreadable than ever. Not even soaring through the sky in a carriage pulled by pegai could get a reaction out of her, and her window was open the whole time.

When they arrived at his kingdom, Drew still didn't get a response. The skies were in everlasting darkness, which Drew was sure would've confused the princess considering it was still daytime. Every building in his land was either black or dark gray. The castle, the biggest building of them all, was also the darkest of them all. The inside was even darker. Each hall was barely lit by small lanterns and dim chandeliers. The windows were blocked by black and blood red drapes. The only objects that glimmered were everything made of gold, onyx, and ruby. Drew expected to get at least a mixture of fear and awe when he introduced the Gothic establishment but the princess remained stagnant.

Hope sparked, however, when he introduced her to the gardens. The princess looked delighted by the location for it was the most colorful and vibrant sight in all of the kingdom. Lamp posts and bushes of flowers created a maze. A large marble fountain stood in the middle of it, waiting for their arrival.

Drew watched the princess stop at a rose bush near the fountain. The princess grazed through every petal, unknowingly teasing him when her fingers grazed the thorns. Her glossy eyes widened with wonder and longing. She reached out sometimes, like she wanted to pick a flower, but pulled back every time. When she noticed the king staring at her, her eyes became dull again. She extended the distance between them and sat on the rim of the fountain. Drew frowned. At least, he got a reaction out of her even if he was the one that ended up killing it.

He extended a hand to the rose bush and plucked a flowered stem. He lifted it to his vision and eyed the thorns. He almost cut them off, like he usually would for the ladies that visited his castle, but couldn't bring himself to do so. He didn't want to cause the princess harm, but he did want her to bleed. He wanted to see her blood—smell it, feel it, taste it.

His fangs immediately grew. He groaned when the princess looked down at the water, revealing her smooth, creamy neck. Thoughts of the princess under him invaded his mind. She was moaning between his arms, gasping when his fangs grazed the skin between her breasts. His hands traveled upward to squeeze the mounds as his teeth rose to her neck. His incisors sharpened, the points penetrating he—

Drew gasped, almost dropping the rose. Sweat dripped down his face as he forced his fangs to recede. In a blink of an eye, the thorns fell off the rose.

Drew gritted his teeth. It wasn't the first time he wanted to take a woman, but it was the first time he held himself back. He didn't like the feeling, not one bit, but had to control himself. If he were to bed the princess, he wanted her to want him too. If she were to want him, however, she had to like him first.

So Drew straightened his posture and approached the princess. The princess knew he was coming but kept her eyes on the water. She didn't know he was giving her something until she saw the object of the water's reflection.

"For you," Drew said, handing her the rose when she turned around.

The princess gaped at him and then at the rose. Drew didn't know it was her biggest wish to be gifted one. She had suitors, of course, but none of them gave her a flower. May was delighted and saddened at the same time. The rose she was getting, the most beautiful one she had seen too, was being given by a man she was forced to marry.

She slowly accepted the rose. She knew that roses had thorns but the one she was holding didn't. She raised the flower to her nose and sniffed its aroma. She wanted to stay mad at him—at everything—but she was a very forgiving person and wasn't mad for long. "Thank you," she said, looking up to smile at him.

Drew's face immediately flushed, catching the king off-guard. His face felt heated before, like when he bedded his female visitors, but that moment was different. His cheeks weren't just warm; they were alive. Before Drew could stop himself, he let out an animalistic growl. The princess jumped and stared at him. Drew widened his eyes. He didn't growl like that since...since…

Drew shook his head. It was probably nothing. That growl was just a coincidence; it didn't mean anything. It couldn't. "You're...welcome," he grunted, sitting beside her.

The princess tilted her head but it was his turn to avoid eye contact. The princess sighed and looked up at the dark sky. She couldn't really be mad at the king, May told herself. If anything, she should be grateful. Davian attacked his kingdom planning to overtake it, but instead of doing the same to Petalburg, the vampire king offered an alternative that could save it. Yes, he was an insensitive jerk at times, but not only was he showing her mercy, he was also trying to be nice. But May wasn't ignorant. She was aware of the king's growing lust for her. His attempts to be kind and pique her interests may just be his way of wooing her into bed. What she didn't understand was why. Why was he wooing her if he could just use that blood-manipulating technique he used on her back at the castle? Why was he working for her consent if he could easily force her to his will?

Maybe, May guessed, just maybe, he wasn't the monster she thought he was. But she couldn't just assume that. She had to ask him herself.

"Hey," she called out.

Drew immediately turned to her. It was the first conversation she initiated since they met at her castle.

"Why did you propose?"

Drew raised an eyebrow. " _Why_?" he asked. "Would you prefer I slaughter your people and take over your kingdom instead?"

"That's not what I meant," May frowned. "I meant, why do you want me to marry you? If you wanted to sleep with me, you could've just asked that."

Drew widened his eyes; not only because she knew he wanted to bed her but because she said it like it was an easy option he could take. He thought about denying her claims but knew enough in their short acquaintance that she was a no-nonsense woman. His surprised look turned into a smirk.

"Are you saying you want to bed me, princess?" he asked, leaning toward her. "Because I could make that happen."

May shivered but tried not to pull away. The king's fingers were at her waist now, subtly stroking the underside of her breast. "I-If I sleep with you," she shakily gasped. Drew smirked against her neck, his fangs long and pointed, "will you return me to my kingdom?"

Drew froze. May waited for a moment, but the man didn't move. With the suffocating proximity between them, she could smell his earthy-green scent.

May stiffened when Drew pulled away. He looked into her eyes, his gaze almost...angry. "No," he said. He stood up, immediately walking back to the castle. "You will fulfill your end of the agreement and stay here."

May's mood immediately plummeted. The thought of never seeing her brother and her kingdom again terrified her to no end. She worried before if Max could handle her absence; then she realized that she herself might not be strong enough to handle his.

But Drew didn't answer her question. Not only that, he refused her when she offered herself in exchange for her return. Her head ached. She became dizzy with anger, fear, and confusion raging in her mind at once. But then she made a conclusion, one she was scared to say out loud but had to make clear. "You're lonely."

Drew stopped walking. He wasn't very far when he made his way back to her. "What did you say?"

"You're lonely, aren't you?" May asked. "You're surrounded by countless riches and servants that will do your every whim yet you still feel alone."

Drew growled. "What makes you think you can claim such things?" he demanded, stopping to stand in front of her. "You don't know me!"

"You don't know me either," May remarked, "and yet you proposed to me."

Drew's growls became louder. "I don't need you here!" he spat. "I could kill you and the rest of your kingdom right _now_!"

"But you won't," May said though fear was evident in her voice, "because despite what you may lead yourself and everyone else to believe, you are not a monster."

Drew gasped and staggered back. The pupils of his eyes turned long and narrow, and his irises flashed green. May inched back as Drew clutched his chest. She opened her mouth to ask what was wrong; but then he looked at her, and she gasped.

"Y-You," May stammered, "were not born a vampire."

Drew widened his distorted eyes and vanished, leaving May alone at the edge of the fountain.


	3. Chapter 3, The Agreement

Chapter updated on March 15, 2016.  
Changes: basic error correction

* * *

Drew stormed into his library, the double doors he slammed open echoing through the large hall. The library had little to no light. The scarcity usually wouldn't have bothered Drew for it was one of his vampire abilities to see in the dark; but today, he had to turn on several lamps. Each ignited flame intensified Drew's vexation. How could he, the most powerful vampire in all the land, not be able to see in the dark?

Drew's displeasure only grew when he skimmed several vampire books and found no answers. He had been researching the history and science of his kind since he was turned but not once did he read about a vampire reverting to his original form. Maybe it was never written of because it wasn't possible, Drew guessed. He had never met a vampire become anything otherwise. Once a person became a vampire, there was no escape.

So what was happening to him?

Drew threw the last book to the ground. The fall echoed loudly but Drew didn't hear it over his heavy breathing. He didn't know what to make of his changing persona, but he did not like not knowing things. He spent centuries developing his library into a cavern of knowledge. If there was a question he didn't know the answer to, he would either look up the answer in his library or find the answer and put it there. Drew already collected every book and reference concerning vampires so there was no way his library didn't have results. Any book or reference written after his collection were rewrites of what he already knew. It wasn't possible the answers weren't in his library. It wasn't.

Drew gripped the edge of a table. The wood crumbled under his grip, but he didn't care. Since he didn't get answers from the library he no longer held to a high regard, he had to move on to his last resort, something he swore he'd never do again.

~.~

A man swept a lock of hair from his face and tucked it behind his ear. He was making a certain potion, after all, and having even one strand of hair fall into the cauldron would result in severe consequences. One of those consequences involved replacing his ingredients. The ingredients for the potion weren't easy to obtain. One of them was a drop of witch's blood, and he didn't want to face another witch after killing the last one.

The man smirked and stirred his creation. He felt a familiar presence earlier and only waited until it burst through the door. It amused him how the would-be visitor believed he could ever catch him off-guard; the visitor's kind really was arrogant and foolish. Which was a good thing, the man thought. If they were smart and humble, they would be harder to kill.

The door burst open behind him. The man's smirk broadened as he turned to face his visitor. The visitor wore royal clothing that was torn through and covered in dirt. A smear of blood marked his forehead. The guest shot him a glare, which delighted him further.

"You have a sick sense of humor," the visitor seethed, "Harley."

Harley laughed out and strutted to his visitor. "Davian, darling!" he greeted, his high voice making Davian even angrier. "You're looking sharp as always. Wanted to see me so soon?"

"Tell your man-eating weeds to stop trying to kill me," Davian ordered. "A cactus nearly skewered my head!"

"But of course, it did," Harley sneered. "That's its job."

Davian grunted and stomped to a chair beside the table. He wanted to give the effeminate man a piece of his mind but the purple-haired freak happened to be one of the most powerful wizards in the land. Not to mention, one of the most hot-tempered.

"So what can I do for you, Dave?" Harley asked, taking the chair across the table. His elbows dug into the wood as his chin rested between his palms. "Any more wishes you want me to grant?"

"You granted no such thing!" Davian barked. "When I invaded Hendercort's kingdom, we were ripped to shreds! The cursed heart you gave me didn't work!"

"Of course, it didn't," Harley remarked, "but it is what you asked for. The heart of King Andrew's steed, was it not?"

"But it didn't work!" Davian repeated. "You said the heart of what Hendercort loves will strip him of his vampiric powers, but it did nothing!"

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe King Andrew didn't love that horse?" Harley questioned. "He's a vampire, remember? Vampires can't love."

"But Hendercort wasn't born a vampire!" Davian reminded. "I know the monster he really is is still in that stupid body; we just need the heart to draw it out!"

"Correction, you need the heart," Harley righted. "Don't forget, giving you that heart has paid my debt to you."

"But it didn't work!" Davian hissed.

"Doesn't matter," Harley remarked. "You asked for that horse's heart, and I gave it to you. Now that my debt has been paid, I owe you nothing."

Davian widened his eyes. He abruptly stood up from his chair and raised his fists to the wizard. "But this is Hendercort we're talking about!" he spat. "That bastard is your enemy as much as he is mine! Don't tell me your scared of that leech?"

Harley stood up. His eyebrows furrowed, and his blue eyes almost glowed red. "I'm not scared of Hendercort, and I'm not scared of you!" he screeched. "I have my own plans for that cocky little loser, and I don't need your help to do them! Now get out! Or I'll make my cactus demon come in and finish what it started!"

Davian grunted and ran out of the hut. He was confronted by Harley's cactus demons, who were waiting for him at his only means of exit.

Davian took out his sword. If that Harley-witch won't help him, then he would just put his head in a glass case, right next to Hendercort's.

~.~

May continued to sit on the fountain, twiddling the rose Drew gave her. She expected the king to come back but was thoroughly disappointed. It wasn't like his presence appealed to her or anything; she just didn't want to be alone that early in her arrival. She didn't know the kingdom, after all. Who knew what kind of creatures lurked in the everlasting darkness?

Someone, a man, screamed. May stood up and turned around. The man kept screaming and screaming, but she couldn't figure out where he was.

"HELP!"

May turned to her right and ran. She wondered briefly if anybody else heard the cries but brushed it aside. She was in a vampire kingdom, after all. She could be running into a vampire feeding on a mortal for all she knew. If it wasn't a vampire and something completely different, well...she still couldn't just stand there. No matter what was causing the commotion, she seemed to be the only one that cared.

May lifted her skirt to run faster. Then she stopped when she reached a wide wall. The wall had a crack big enough to go through, but everything outside was dark. May stood by the gap, shaking.

But then the screams became louder.

May ran through the crack. When she was engulfed by shadows, she ran faster. The screams were getting louder and louder. She looked in all directions but saw nothing but darkness. She tilted her head and listened for the man's screaming. She walked to make sure she wasn't too far away. "Hello?" she called out. "Sir, are you there? Are you alright?"

Nothing responded.

"Sir? Sir!" May called out again. "Where are you? Can you hear me?"

Nothing.

May groaned. "SIR, WHERE ARE YOU?"

"Here."

May screamed, but was immediately silenced.

~.~

Drew dropped the last bag in the carriage. He imagined the queen of his destination sneering, rubbing in his face that the great Andrew Hendercort was asking for help. And it wasn't like he had the right to ask her not to. He had been mocking her since she was a little girl. It was all for jest, of course, but the girl would take him seriously.

He hadn't seen the girl, which was a woman now, in a long time. The woman's land was too bright and cheery, and he never liked spending even one second there. To find the answers he was looking for, however, he had to stay there for a week. It was the only payment the woman asked for, and it wasn't like he could refuse.

"Boy," Drew called out to the young servant arranging his luggage, "call the princess and tell her to come here."

The little boy set down his bags and ran to do his bidding. Drew smirked. His destination might be repulsive to him, but the princess might like it there. She wasn't excited to see his dark, gloomy kingdom; maybe seeing the opposite would get a different reaction. Who knows? Maybe he would get the honeymoon before the wedding.

When the boy returned, Drew expected the princess to be at his side. She wasn't, but the boy looked absolutely horrified. "Sh-she's not th-there," he stuttered, "m-my ki-i-ing."

Drew froze. In a flash, he was back at the garden. He marched to the front of the fountain, but the princess was nowhere to be found.

Drew raised his nose. It was out of instinct, but instinct Drew didn't think would return. His vampiric abilities gave him the ability to smell blood, but blood wasn't the only thing he was smelling. Drew followed the trail of scent and stopped when it led him to a wall. He looked around the area, wondering why the trail would end there.

But then he saw it. The hole, the hole he specifically instructed his servants to fix, was open. When his head peeked through the gap, the trail of scent continued.

"No."

~.~

May opened her eyes. When she looked at her surroundings, she froze. She couldn't see anything but darkness. She blinked a few times to make sure that was correct, and it was. She really couldn't see anything but black. She was blind.

"Hey."

May gasped. When she started shaking, she realized she was suspended in the air. Her wrists were bound to the ceiling, swaying her side to side. "Wh-Who's there?"

"My name is Ash," the voice responded near her. "My wife is here somewhere; her name is Misty."

"Wh-Where," May stammered, "where are we?"

"We're in a wendigo's cave," Ash answered. "Wendigos are dangerous hunters that hunt best in the dark. If you're here, that means one captured you too."

"I-I was trying to s-save a man," May told him. "He was s-screaming so I tried to find him. Is he h-here?"

"If you don't hear him now, the answer's probably no," Ash replied. "I've been asking the same question about my wife. I keep calling her name, but she isn't answering."

"I h-hope she's okay," May consoled. "I c-can't see anything; I think I've g-gone blind."

"No, it's just dark," Ash assured. "Wendigos can see perfectly in the dark so they don't need light."

"What will they do to us?" May questioned.

"They'll eat us," Ash told her, "preferably while we're still alive."

May gasped. She bit back a scream when her suspended body swayed.

"I don't know how many of us are in here," Ash continued, "but since nobody else is responding to my calls, it might be just you and me now."

"Then don't s-stop talking, Ash," May trembled. "Keep talking s-so I know you're h-here."

"I will, I will," Ash assured. "Misty, you still there?"

No one responded. May couldn't hear Ash's response, but she knew he was devastated.

"M-May," Ash quivered. "Wh-Where are you f-from?"

"From Petalb-burg," May answered, tears streaming down her face. "Where are y-you from?"

"From P-Pallet. Wh-What are you do-oing here i-in Hende-de-dercort?"

"I-I'm here...for m-my brother. H-how about y-you?"

"For a c-competition," Ash hissed. "My w-wife begged me n-not to go, but I-I didn't l-listen t-to her."

May shook.

"And n-now she's dead!" Ash choked. "It's a-all my f-fault! I sh-should-d've liste-ened to h-her!"

May's tears fell to the ground. Memories of Max begging her to stay assaulted her conscience. She told herself she left for his safety but was he really safe? How could she know if she wasn't with him?

A scream broke through the darkness. May immediately recognized it and looked around. "Ash?" she called out. "ASH! Ash, are you still there? Answer me!"

Sounds of tearing and crunching echoed through the darkness. May screamed Ash's name one last time before drowning the noises with her sobs. Then she was yanked off the ceiling. Something gripped her arm, something large and cold.

May remembered her brother screaming her name. He wouldn't stop screaming, he wouldn't stop asking her to stay, but she still turned her back on him. The last thing she saw were his tears. He was re-living the pain of losing his parents, but with her.

May fell to the ground. She heard another growl, a familiar growl, before passing out.

~.~

When May woke up, she saw fire. She panicked for a second, wondering if she was in hell. Then she felt numb. She deserved it, she thought. She abandoned her brother; she didn't deserve salvation.

But then she looked around and saw familiar objects. The maroon couch she laid on was only one of the dark-colored furniture in the room. The fire she saw came from a fireplace.

May sat up and rubbed her head. The pain was unbearable, but she didn't know if it was physical or mental.

"You, fool."

May gasped. The vampire king approached her, his arms crossed. "Do you really think," he hissed, "you could escape me?"

His eyes were red and burned with malice. But May wasn't afraid. Not anymore.

"I wasn't trying to escape."

"Then what were you doing out there?" Drew demanded. He was in front of May in a flash, causing May to fall back. "You didn't have to go through that hole to see how dark that forest was!' he continued. "Did you really not try to escape, or are you just stupid?"

"I was trying to save a man!" May barked. "He was screaming for help, and nobody else was trying to help him!"

"That's how wendigos lure in prey, you stupid girl!" Drew snarled. "They mimic the sound of humans to lure other humans in!"

"And what if it wasn't a wendigo?" May remarked. "What if he was a real man in real trouble; was I supposed to just stand there and do nothing?"

"If you were smart, yes!"

"Then I guess I'm not SMART!" May screamed. "You should've left me to DIE!"

"You ungrateful little..." Drew seethed. "I saved your life!"

"I didn't ask you to save my life!" May spat. "I didn't ask to have my life spared!"

"You really prefer death over me?" Drew snarled. "Do you know what that wendigo would've done to you?"

"I don't care!" May remarked. "You should've let me DIE!"

"Do you hate me that much?" Drew demanded. "Do you hate me so much, you'd rather be eaten than be with me?"

"I," May trembled, "abandoned my b-brother."

Her voice was so low, she was almost whispering. "I don't deserve to live."

Drew widened his eyes. The princess sobbed into her arms, leaning towards her knees.

"Is that what this is about?" Drew clenched his fists. "You think you abandoned your brother?"

May didn't answer.

"You..." Drew growled. "You..."

Drew grunted and stepped away. The princess was impossible! She had yet to be in his kingdom for a full day, yet she was infuriating him to no end. He saved her life, and this was how she was repaying him? He had half a mind to send the princess back to her kingdom and slaughter her with her people. She missed her brother so much? She could die with him!

But Drew couldn't say the words. It frustrated him that he didn't know why. The only reason he could come up with was that the princess was reversing his curse. How and why, he didn't know. He was supposed to leave that night to find out, but the princess just had to run away. He had to postpone his trip for another day...if the princess would let him.

Drew glared at the brunette. She was a pain in the ass, but she couldn't leave him. He couldn't have her run away again, nor could he have guards watching her 24/7. His vampire soldiers couldn't control their hunger as well as he could. They'd kill her the second he turned away.

Drew sighed. He looked at the sobbing woman on the couch and sighed again.

"What..." he started, "do I have to do to make you behave?"

May's cries were silenced, but Drew knew she was listening. Incensed to no end too, from the look for her shaking form. He almost challenged her to confront him, tell him exactly what was on her mind. But then he thought about his strategy, and what he learned so far about the princess.

Drew froze. The princess breathed for her brother and kingdom. If he wanted her to cooperate, he could use that to his advantage.

"How 'bout," Drew looked at the fireplace, "I allow you to...send letters...to your brother? Would that ease your 'abandoning him' mindset?"

May's head immediately went up. Her eyes expressed a mixture of annoyance, embarrassment, and joy.

And doubt.

"I'll get my fastest messenger hawks to deliver them," Drew added, "so the both of you can receive messages as soon as possible."

"Wh-Why," May glared at him, "why are you d-doing this?"

Drew sat on the couch and looked at her. The gravity in his expression took May aback.

"You and I both know I wasn't born a vampire," Drew told her. "I was cursed, along with the rest of the kingdom."

"Y-You mean," May widened her eyes, "everyone in the kingdom was transformed into vampires?"

"NO ONE is born a vampire," Drew stated. "Vampires aren't given life; they take it. Why do you think we drink blood for sustenance? Nothing sustains more life than blood."

May trembled, taken aback by the sudden news.

"B-But," she stammered, "why w-were you cursed?"

"It's not important," Drew growled. "What is important is that you might be breaking that curse."

May gasped. "H-How?"

"I don't know," Drew grunted. "I was about to find out tonight, but you ran away."

May immediately felt guilty, even thought she knew she shouldn't.

"So what are you going to do?" May grunted.

"I'm still going to find answers," Drew declared, "and you're coming with me."

May stiffened.

"There's no way I'm letting you leave my sight again," Drew continued. "I wanted to take you with me anyway, but since that wendigo incident happened, I have to. I can't let my future wife get herself killed, now can I?"

May gasped.

"Y-You...still want to marry me?"

"We had an agreement," Drew stated, "and if you're the one to break the curse, then you really can't leave."

May frowned. "So I'm just a tool to you?"

"Don't be so bitter, princess," Drew grunted. "You sound like you're a prisoner here."

"Aren't I?" May raised an eyebrow.

"No," Drew affirmed. "You came here at your own volition."

"You were going to destroy my kingdom," May reminded him. "Did I really have a choice?"

Drew growled. The princess was irritating indeed. "Do you want to write to your brother or not?"

May looked down. "I do."

Then she looked back up at him.

"Fine, I'll go with you; but on one condition."

"You don't call the shots here," Drew stated. "I do."

"But I could be the one that could break your kingdom's curse," May remarked. "That's big compared to you allowing me to send letters to my brother."

"I saved your life!"

"I could save more!"

Drew grunted and turned away. His fists were shaking, but his shoulders were lowering in defeat.

"Fine," he conceded. "What do you want?"

"If we were to get married," May told him, "I want my brother to be there."

Drew immediately turned to her.

"You didn't give me a chance to properly say goodbye to him," May reminded. "If I were to never see him again after we wed, I want to say goodbye correctly."

Drew hissed. Why was he even listening to her? He was an all-powerful king, and she was a mere mortal. She owed him not just her life, but her kingdom's as well. He had nothing to repay to her!

But the woman looked insistent, and he knew he had to listen. If she could bring him trouble without knowing it, like ignorantly going into a dark forest to save her predator, how much more if she was actually trying?

"Fine," Drew groaned. "Your brother can come."

May immediately beamed, causing his cheeks to flush. His fists shook, but for a whole different reason.

"What's your name?" he asked.

May blinked. "What?"

"Your name," Drew repeated. "I saved your life twice and still owe you more. The least you could do is tell me your name."

"I don't understand," May said. "Why don't you just ask your servants to tell you?"

"Because I want to hear it from you," Drew growled. "So tell me. What. Is. Your NAME?"

"May."

Drew blinked. "What?"

"May," May smiled. "My name is May."

Drew let out another growl, an animalistic growl, but the princess kept smiling. Why she was smiling at all, he didn't know. All he knew was that he was doing something he didn't do for a long time.

He smiled back.

"May."


	4. Chapter 4, The Revenant

Chapter updated on March 24, 2016.  
Changes: basic error correction

* * *

May finally did what she hadn't done since the beginning of the day, she ate.

At least, tried to. Her mouth watered at the smell of roasted beef and steamed rice, but for some reason, she couldn't eat a bite. Drew had to stay with her until she finally ate, and when she did so, dismissed himself. Where he was going, she didn't know, but she wished he had stayed. Though the room was illuminated by the fireplace, it was still dark. It reminded her of awful memories, memories that wouldn't go away.

May didn't realize she was trembling until her plate almost fell from her lap. When she barely caught it, she set the plate to the side and hugged her knees. Memories of tearing, crunching, and screaming echoed through her head. She couldn't see Ash or the creature that attacked him, but she heard their voices, and that was _far_ worse. Her mind wasn't satisfied with hearing the horror alone; it _demanded_ images. That meant visual interpretations ran rampant in May's mind, so not only were the real voices haunting her, made-up images haunted her as well. Poets praise the beauty of imagination. May wished it never existed.

When May closed her eyes, she immediately opened them again and trembled. Closing her eyes only made her see darkness; and if darkness was all she saw, she might as well be living the trauma all over again.

May pulled her knees closer and focused on the fireplace. Her vision occasionally blurred from the tears that leaked from her eyes.

"May?"

May gasped. No words could describe how relieved she was to hear a familiar voice. When she turned to face the speaker, however, she froze. The voice was indeed familiar, but it wasn't the voice she expected to hear again.

"A-Ash?"

~.~

Drew stared at his hand as he made his way back to May. Memories of his rescue replayed again and again in his head. The forest was dark, but it didn't keep his nose from finding what he was looking for. It bothered him that he couldn't see in the dark as well as he used to, but it bothered him even more that his returning strong sense of smell made that pointless. He hadn't used his nose in such a way for such a long time, the ability was foreign to him. He almost believed he was transforming into a whole different creature. He really was reverting to his former self, and he still didn't know what to make of it.

Drew froze when he heard May call out a word. It didn't seem like a special word, but the way she said it made him run. He could smell her fear as he got closer, making him run faster. _That_ was a vampiric ability, he noted. Only vampires benefited from smelling fear.

When he entered the room, May's skin was pale. Her eyes were wide as can be, staring into space like an invisible monster was there.

"May?" Drew ran to her. "May!"

May trembled. The man standing in front of her had shaggy black hair and wide brown eyes. He was dressed in tattered clothing, similar to a farmer's attire. May had never seen him before. She didn't notice Drew running to her side, but the man did.

"K-King Hendercort?" Ash stepped closer. "What are you doing here?"

"May!" Drew shook May's shoulders, causing May to finally look at him. "May, what are you looking at?"

May froze. "Y-You...You don't see him?"

"What?" Drew turned behind him and back to her. "See what?"

"He doesn't _see_ me?" Ash grumbled and marched to the king. "Hey!" he called out to his ear, "I'm right _here_!"

May heard him perfectly, but Drew didn't seem to.

"May, what's going on?" Drew demanded. "What do you see?"

May trembled when the mystery man looked at her. She still didn't know if that was really Ash; they were surrounded by too much darkness at the cave to see what he looked like. But hearing his voice was enough. May recognized Ash, and Ash recognized her.

"May!" Drew grunted.

"A-Ash," May stammered. "I see A-Ash."

"Ash? Who's Ash?"

"The man I was w-with at the cave," May croaked. "The man the w-wendigo killed."

~.~

Harley stirred his potion giddily. He sensed another visitor, and it was one he was excited to meet. Nobody really visited him unless they wanted to kill or take something from him. The soon-to-be visitor probably wanted something, but Harley didn't care. He was so excited, he opened the front door himself. His visitor stood there with a raised fist, surprised the door already opened.

"Solidad!" Harley cheered. "How nice of you to visit!"

"Hello, Harley," Solidad lowered her fist. She offered him a smile before entering the hut. Her wings scattered glitter on his wooden floor, and she quickly apologized.

"Oh don't _worry_ about it!" Harley waved it off. "My demons will be more than pleased to clean it up later. You're their favorite, you know, the one they want to eat and _not_ eat at the same time."

Any other person would've grimaced, but Solidad smiled and nodded. She was accustomed to her old friend's behavior.

"Well, I'm flattered."

"Don't just stand there; sit, sit!" Harley ushered her to the wooden chairs and tables. "Tell me, love, to what pleasure do I owe this visit? Spare no details, I'll bring us some tea!"

He ushered to the shadows near his cauldron, which quickly left to do his bidding. Moments later, a porcelain teapot with matching cups materialized on the table. One cup faced Harley, and the other faced Solidad.

"Well I'm sure you've heard of King Hendercort's engagement," Solidad started, lifting her cup to her lips.

" _Engagement_?" Harley snorted, "Please. He was going to destroy the Petalburg Kingdom after their king attacked him. The only reason he proposed to that mortal was because he wanted to get _in her_ first."

"Then why didn't he just ask that?" Solidad asked. "Why propose?"

"Maybe he's finally ashamed of his ways," Harley sipped his tea. "The king did have a reputation of bedding more women than feeding on them."

"Drew never cared for reputation," Solidad told him, "unless, it involves fear."

"Hmph. Well the only thing I'm scared of is if he gets that mortal to born him a spawn," Harley grimaced. "It's bad enough to have him running around. Imagine having _two_ or _more_ of him."

"But Drew is a vampire," Solidad reminded. "He can't have kids."

"Maybe he found a way," Harley frowned. "Do you think it's why he proposed to that mortal?"

"Maybe," Solidad sighed. "I was supposed to talk to him about it in two days, but he postponed the trip. The girl was in danger."

"Typical," Harley scoffed. "Leave it to humans to trouble those around them."

"The princess does get me curious, though," Solidad confessed.

"Why?" Harley asked.

"No reason."

Harley narrowed his eyes. "Solidad," he called out gravely, "you didn't come here to just gossip, did you?"

Solidad frowned. "No," she admitted. "I didn't."

"What do you know, Solidad?" Harley glowered.

Solidad sighed. She set her cup down on the table and stared at it.

"She's breaking the curse."

Harley froze.

"That's why Drew asked for my help," Solidad continued. "Being with her is returning him to his original form. He wants to come to my kingdom so he can figure out why."

"Do you _know_ why?" Harley asked.

"No," Solidad shook her head, "at least, not yet. Not until I see her."

"So what do you want me to do?" Harley crossed his arms. "You _know_ Drew reverting back to his old form will allow him to die again. You _know_ letting me know that gives me a chance to kill him. If you were really his friend, why are you telling me all of this?"

Solidad gave him a look and made the wizard intensified his glare.

"The seal...is breaking."

Harley leaped to the edge of his chair.

"Impossible," he gritted, "we _killed_ him."

"That's what I thought too," Solidad said, "but the dark aura in the temple is inceasing. Some of the plant life around it have already wilted. Your hut is close to the temple, Harley. How much longer will you wait until the aura reaches your cactus demons?"

Harley hissed. The hand holding his teacup was shaking, threatening to shatter.

"What does this have to do with Hendercort?" the wizard seethed.

"When _he_ comes back, we're going to need _all_ the help we can get," Solidad explained. "Vampire or not, we need Drew and his army to win again. Do what you want with him after, but make peace with him now. We'll need it."

Harley crossed his arms. "You're surprisingly indifferent to me killing your little friend."

"You won't kill him," Solidad told him.

"What makes you say that?"

"Because you've forgiven him before," Solidad smiled. "You can forgive him again."

Harley snorted, but Solidad could see hesitance in his eyes.

~.~

"K-Killed?" Ash stepped back. "What do you mean 'killed'? I'm standing right _here_!"

"May, you're acting crazy," Drew growled when May gaped into space. "Stop it!"

"Hey, don't you yell at her like that!" Ash shoved him.

Drew froze. He turned to his left shoulder but saw nothing.

"Shove me again," he ordered.

When Ash gladly did so, Drew froze again. May only watched the interaction take place with wide eyes. Drew didn't seem to be able to see Ash, but he could feel him.

"I-Impossible," Drew stammered. Why could he only feel the ghost, but not see or hear him? He wasn't living either, so he should've been able to see it.

Then it hit him. His vampire side wasn't living, but his original form was. Did May reverse the curse so far, it took away his immortality?

"We need to go to the library," Drew swiftly turned around. "This way."

Ash was about to protest, but May quickly followed him. The princess's fair skin was pale, even at the fireplace's light. He _had_ to follow too.

After all, he wasn't really dead...was he?

~.~

When the three arrived at the library, May and Ash were awestruck. The library must've been in a seperate tower, because the book-covered walls surrounded them like a giant cylinder. There were several platfroms seperating every certain number of rows, and each platform had a string of lanterns that, all together, created a tower of rings that ascended to the ceiling.

Drew flashed to a platform and searched through a column of books. Once a book was in his hands, Drew descended back to the carpeted floor and placed the book on a table.

"May."

May jumped and approached the king. The vampire was scanning the book intently, flipping pages faster than May could read a sentence. May wondered if Drew could really read that fast, but after remembering he had many years to practice, she brushed the thought aside.

"Hey, May," Ash called from her right, "how do you and the king know each other?"

May froze. Ash didn't notice her eyes widen. "He's..." May bit her lip, "h-he's..."

Drew immediately looked up. He narrowed his eyes when he saw how uncomfortable the princess looked.

"What?" Drew asked. "What is he doing?"

May became even more uncomfortable. She looked down at her hands and fidgetted.

"He's...asking..." May took a shaky breath, "how we...know each other."

Drew smirked. "Well, ghost," he said, "this lovely lady here is my fiancé."

"WHAT?" Ash bellowed. "You're marrying the vampire king?"

May turned away.

"I thought you said you came here for your brother!" Ash yelled.

"I," May looked down, "I did."

"So why are you marrying the _king_?"

"Here," Drew finally stopped at a page. "The Revenant."

His words got Ash and May to look at him.

"What's a revenant?" May asked.

"It's the type of ghost your friend probably is," Drew told her. "Revenants are created when a person dies and their spirit remains in the living world, for some reason. They can't walk through walls or teleport like other ghosts can, but can be seen, heard, smelled, and felt like a living being. They also retain their humanity, unlike evil spirits who scare and haunt places for no good reason."

"So it's like Ash never died," May placed a hand on her chest.

"But I never _died_!" Ash claimed. "Why do you guys keep saying that?"

"But why is Ash denying his death?" May asked Drew.

"Says here revenants have no memory of their deaths," Drew read. "At least, not at first."

"Okay, you guys are _sick_!" Ash hissed. "How many times do I have to tell you guys? I'm not DEAD!"

Drew appeared irked, but not because of Ash.

"Drew?" May called out. "What's wrong?"

Drew immediately looked at her. It was the first time she called out his name. The way she said it was so...so sweet. Drew clenched his jaw when he imagined other ways she could call out his name.

"Drew?"

Oh, it was so _good_ , Drew growled. Then he froze. He didn't realized he growled out loud until May stared at him.

"I-I," Drew coughed, "don't understand a few things."

"Oh?" May tilted her head, revealing her smooth neck, "like what?"

"L-Like," Drew continued, "like how you can see and hear him, but I can't. I'm not alive either, so I should be able to perceive him too, but I can't."

"I'm not _dead_!" Ash yelled stubbornly.

"Also," Drew forced himself to look back at the book, "I don't know why he's here. If he died at the wendigo cave, he should be haunting the wendigo cave, not my castle."

May stiffened. Even Ash was stunned to silence. As much as he wanted to protest the king's words, he couldn't deny that he didn't know how or why he was at the castle.

"The only way a ghost could leave its death place is to," Drew clenched his jaw, "possess an object that left the location."

He was suddenly very angry.

"A-Are you saying," May shook, "Ash is here because of _me_?"

Ash was trembling himself.

"Yeah..." Drew growled.

May frowned and looked at Ash. When she saw his expression, her frowned deepened. "You're remembering it now," she guessed, "aren't you?"

Ash didn't answer. He only turned and ran out of the library. Drew saw the doors of the hall open and close.

"Is he gone?" he asked.

"Yeah..." May answered.

Drew immediately looked back at the book. When he turned a page, his frown turned into a scowl.

"There are three ways to get rid of a ghost."

May gasped. "What do you mean 'get rid'?"

"Put him to rest," Drew told her, "send him where he belongs. If he stays here too long, he'll become as rabid as the wendigo that ate him."

May clenched her fists and covered her lips. She stared dazedly at the space between them, her eyes watery at the images that came to her head. "What are the options?"

"The first one is to salt and burn the object the ghost is bound to," Drew said, "but I'm guessing you don't want to do that."

May frowned.

"The second is to salt and burn the ghost's remains," Drew continued, "but since he was eaten by a wendigo, who basically ate him until there's nothing left, that's not an option either."

"Can't you be less morbid?" May grunted.

"No," Drew answered, irking her further, "the last one is resolving the ghost's conflict so he'll be peaceful enough to cross over."

"How do we do that?" May asked.

"You're the one bounded to him," Drew glared at her, "figure it out."

"Hey!" May crossed her arms, "Do we have a problem here?"

"You tell _me_ ," Drew growled, "my fiancé is bounded to another man!"

"You're..." she blinked, "you're not _jealous_ , are you?"

"No," Drew scoffed, but May knew he was lying. Drew saw the smug look on her face and brushed passed her. "C'mon."

"Where?" May watched him head for the doors.

Drew turned around and smirked.

"To our bedroom."

~.~

May didn't understand. Wasn't she just told that she could save Ash and _had_ to before he became a rabid ghost? Wasn't she just told that in order to do that, she had to resolve his conflict, which she wouldn't know about until she talked to him? She could be searching the castle right _now_ , or calling out his name hoping he would come, but Drew wouldn't have _any_ of it. That was why she was on his bed, wearing a nightgown.

May would've been terrified of their situation, but was too worried about Ash. She didn't know that Drew knew that, which irked the king even more. He wanted the princess to squeak in embarrassment, or excitement, at the prospect of sleeping with him, but she was too busy paying attention to _another man_ to even care _._ And the worst part was, that dead man was going to postpone the trip Drew planned for who knew how many days. The steamy getaway the king was hoping to have with the princess became far beyond his reach. And it wasn't like Drew could tell May to forget the man and move on with their lives. For one thing, May would never forgive him, or herself, if the ghost went berserk. Second, if it did go berserk, it would haunt him and the princess for all of eternity. Drew couldn't kill something if it was already dead, so he would basically have an undead pain in the ass for the rest of his probably now limited life.

Drew groaned, causing May to look at him.

"What?"

"Can you stop _worrying_ about that guy?" Drew told her.

"How could you say that?" May asked. "The man was eaten right _next_ to me, and I couldn't save him! But now that I've been given a chance to, no matter how late, you're asking me to back down?"

"I'm not saying that, it's just..." Drew groaned, "just...stop worrying!"

"If you let me look for him," May told him, "I'll worry a lot less."

"But then _I'll_ be worried," Drew remarked. "Last time I let you out of my sight, you were not only almost eaten by a cannibalistic monster, you brought back a ghost of one of its victims!"

May bit her lip. "I'm sorry."

Drew looked at her and sighed. "I know you mean well," he said, "and I know you're only so serious about this because you think it makes up for 'abandoning' your brother, but the truth is, you've gotta stop doing this alone. You know little to nothing about the supernatural world, and it's going to get you _killed_. And when that happens..."

May eyed him. "What?"

"Just," Drew sat beside her, "stop going out there alone, okay? If you're going to go anywhere, at least take me with you."

May inched closer. "Are you saying you want to help me?"

"Only if you stop running off like that," Drew grumbled. "I know this marriage is arranged, but if we're going to be a married couple, we have to start acting like it. That means no decisions should be made without the other person's consent."

"You," May smiled, "you really want to marry me, don't you?"

Drew shifted in his spot, but didn't inch away.

"But it's to break the curse right?" May's smile faltered a bit. "Sorry if the situation with Ash postponed that."

Drew grunted, surprising her. May waited for his response, but it didn't come. She then noted how his emerald eyes glinted in the candlelight. His lighter green hair was ruffled and a bit dirty from what she guessed was his encounter with the wendigo. She gasped.

"Drew."

The king immediately turned to her.

"How did you find me?" May asked, "and how did you kill that wendigo?"

Drew frowned and stared at his hands.

"I couldn't see in the dark as well as I used to, but I was able to track your scent," Drew told her. "Wendigos can't be killed with anything but fire, so when I smelled where it was, I blasted it with fire. I tackled it away from you first so I wouldn't burn you too."

"I..." May gaped, "didn't know vampires could conjure fire."

"They can't," Drew stated, "but my original form can."

May gasped.

"I don't know how you're able to do this to me," Drew told her. "Are you really human?"

"I think so," May responded slowly, "I've never been through anything that would prove otherwise."

"I _really_ want to find out," Drew said. "I don't want to marry someone I don't know anything about."

"Didn't you decide that when you proposed to me?" May pointed out with a smirk.

Drew shook his head. "I don't even know why I did that either."

May frowned at that and turned away. "You can change your mind now, if you want," she said, "we can arrange another agreement, I'm sure."

Drew looked at her. "Do you _really_ want to leave?" he asked. "Do you really want to leave this kingdom? Leave _me_?"

May looked at him.

"Because if you really want to leave..." Drew bit his lip, "I...can arrange it."

May gasped. "Really?"

"You won't stop asking," Drew pointed out, "and now that I think about it, having you here is going to trouble us more than benefit us. I won't touch your kingdom. You can go for free."

"But how about the curse?" May asked. "The kingdom?"

"We've been monsters for many years, May," Drew scoffed. "We can be monsters for many more."

May couldn't believe her ears. "But what about...Ash?"

Drew hissed at the sound of his name, but turned away to control himself. "You can go after we save him."

"You really mean that?" May asked.

"Yeah," Drew said, "I do."

May was confused again. She was supposed to be cheering for joy. The vampire king was granting her freedom, and at no cost to her kingdom! She would no longer worry about leaving her brother. She could see him every day, just as before!

But for some reason, leaving Drew gave her mixed emotions. A part of her wanted to run as soon as possible. If Ash was bound to her, she could save him in _her_ kingdom instead. She wouldn't bother Drew anymore, and he wouldn't bother _her_ anymore.

But a part of her wanted to stay, for some reason. Was it because she wanted to help Drew and his kingdom as well? He seemed to want her to break the curse, but if he was letting her go so easily, did that mean he didn't want her to do it after all? Did he _not_ want to go back to his original form? Did he prefer to stay a vampire forever?

Drew noted May's silence and looked out his balcony. When May spoke, he turned back to her.

"Why," May asked, "why are you doing this?"

Drew looked down. "I may be a monster," he told her, "but that doesn't mean I want to be."

May gasped. Drew refused to look at her, but she knew his expression wasn't happy.

"Drew," May took him by the shoulders, "you're _not_ a monster."

Drew froze.

"A monster wouldn't have given me a chance to save my kingdom," May told him, "a monster wouldn't have saved my life, and a monster definitely wouldn't let me go out of _good will_."

Drew wasn't focusing on her touch anymore. He was absorbed into her sapphire gaze.

"Give yourself a chance, Drew," May gave him a smile, "and I will too."

May's face was so close to Drew's, Drew could feel her whisper on his lips. He wanted to close the distance, but held himself back. When May saw his struggle, she expanded the distance between them and coughed.

"C-Can I have my own chamber?" May asked. "For the meantime, at least..."

When Drew snapped out of his daze and processed her words, he frowned.

"I won't run away," May assured. "I just don't think it's...appropriate for a man and woman to share a room before marriage."

Drew's frown remained as he stood from the bed. May looked at him anxiously, but didn't feel afraid.

"Okay," he conceded, "follow me."


	5. Chapter 5, The First Letter

Chapter updated on March 24, 2016.  
Changes: basic error changes

* * *

Max looked out of his window, staring at the gray hills outlining the horizon. There was usually green in the daylight, but with the night sky hovering above the kingdom, the colors of what should be were distorted.

Roger was sitting loyally beside his feet. The dog was staring at the ground for the most part but stole glances from his master every once in a while. There was a light green ball between his jaws, and it lit up when it was raised to the moonlight.

"Sorry, Roger," the prince apologized to him, "I'm just not in the mood to play today."

Roger whined and almost dropped the ball. He then stood on all fours and lowered his head.

Max frowned at him. "I'll..."

Then he paused. He usually assured his dog whenever he gave him a certain look but knew that doing so at that moment would make him a liar.

Roger whined again.

"I just miss my sister, Roger," Max knelt down. "It's almost midnight. May would usually come in and force me to go to bed, and I would fight back and tell her she's not the boss of me. I know it drove her crazy, but she never complained once. I think she enjoyed our fighting just as much as I did."

When Max put a hand on Roger's head, Roger felt it tremble.

"I wish I told her that," Max told him, "I don't really know if she knew. I thought she did, but now...you can't help but doubt, you know?"

Roger frowned when the trembling worsened.

"I miss her so much," Max croaked. "If that vampire does anything to her, I swear I'll—"

He stopped. Roger looked up.

"What could I even do?" Max asked, more to himself than to the dog. "May and the vampire were just in the castle, and I couldn't stop them. What am I going to do now that they're probably in Hendercort's castle? Barge in and ask nicely for May back?"

Roger flinched.

"I'm so weak," Max hissed. "I couldn't save the only family I had left. Mom and Dad told me to watch out for May, and look where she is now."

Roger looked at him with glossy eyes.

"May had always taken care of me," he added, "but now that she needs my help, I can't do anything. I can't even find Davian! He probably left the kingdom and is probably far, far away by now, ruining somebody else's life."

Roger tightened his jaws.

"What am I supposed to do, Roger?" Max looked at the shepherd. "Everyone's gone and left me with the kingdom. I haven't fulfilled a single request they gave me, and now they expect me to be king?"

Roger stepped closer, but Max stood up and looked out the window again. The ball finally fell from the dog's jaws. It bounced a bit between his feet, then stayed.

~.~

May stared up at the gray velvet ceiling. It could be another color, but she couldn't tell. There was no moonlight outside the big window of her chamber; the only source of lighting she had was a small wall lantern across her bed. The carpet was dark red and the walls were almost black. The furniture were different shades of red, gray and, of course, black, and her bed sheets had the same color scheme. May shifted in her spot. At least the _mattress_ was warm and comforting.

May could still remember her last encounter with the vampire king. Drew had tried to coax her back to his bedroom, but the princess kept refusing him. It was improper, she had said. But when Drew started to back out of the room, May practically reached out to stop him. That, of course, amused the king to no end.

 _"You say you want to have your own room," Drew said, "but the idea of being alone terrifies you."_

 _"It does **not**!" May crossed her arms. But her voice had cracked a bit, and Drew saw right through her ruse._

 _"There is no shame in being afraid, Princess," Drew smirked. "As a matter of fact, I prefer you to be so. Fear is an incredible aphrodisiac."_

 _"You're disgusting," May growled. But the king gave her a sultry look, and she blushed heavily at his hungry irises._

 _Drew stepped forward, earning him a step back from May. When he had taken another step, however, the princess didn't move. That was when he encircled her waist and pulled her close. "Whatever it is you're afraid of," he whispered, "I can distract you from it."_

 _"No, you can't," May dissented, inhaling sharply when his forehead touched her own. "I'm afraid of so many things."_

 _"Like what?" Drew looked into her_ _eyes. "What are you scared of?"_

 _May had suddenly wanted to pull away from him, but tightened her grip on his shirt._

 _"You are torturing me, Princess," Drew murmured, leaning so his breath warmed her cheek. "You know that I want you, but you continue to tease me so."_

 _"I...I don't mean to," May had stammered, shivering when his thumbs grazed her waist. "I-I just..."_

 _"Just what?"_

 _"I...I don't know!"_

 _May finally pushed him away. She then wrapped her arms around herself and turned so she wouldn't face him. Drew frowned and sighed._

 _"I'll...let you sleep," he said. He stopped to say something else, but quickly changed his mind. May tightened her hold around herself, even when Drew had left. His presence haunted her. Just the thought of him sent goosebumps across her skin._

That was why at that present moment, hours from their encounter, May was still shaking. Countless thoughts swirled in her mind, making her dizzy. She tried to distract herself with other thoughts, but the ones that came didn't alleviate her.

Was Max mad at her for leaving, or was he more sad? Was Davian still king? If so, how was he responding to Drew's invasion? But he couldn't possibly still be king, could he? He must've made the decision to attack Drew's kingdom without the council's consent. Unless he found a way to convince them, thereby winning enough favor to initiate the attack. But the council didn't seem like the kind of people to attack without good reason, if they were to attack at all. But Davian was good at manipulating people. Was he good enough to sway the elders?

And what if Davian was cut from the throne? Did Max inherit the crown? It didn't seem likely due to his age, but he was technically the last in the family to inherit the throne. If Davian was overthrown and May herself was in the vampire kingdom, then Max would be the rightful heir. If that was the case, then May was both proud and worried. Max was intelligent, but preferred play over responsibility. The princess would often catch her brother staying up nights before important events, and be constantly ignored when telling him to study. May may have left to save him and their family's land, but what exactly was she leaving behind? Could Max handle the weight of being king? Would the kingdom not falter under his rule?

And what of Ash? May was glad she received more time to get to know him, but the circumstances could've been a _whole_ lot better. The man died in one of the most gruesome ways possible, and was then wandering the earth as a restless spirit. May wanted to give him the time to grieve, for the ghost had suffered much pain before his abrupt end, but she also didn't want to wait. If Ash stayed with the living for too long, he would turn into an evil spirit. She didn't know how long that would take, but it probably wouldn't have taken long. The revenant looked absolutely broken when he finally realized his situation. His emotional distress could've definitely expedited the dehumanization process.

And Drew. _Drew_. May honestly didn't know what to think of the man. Drew may had been a dangerous vampire that threatened to destroy her kingdom, but he also gave her a chance to save it. He also not only gave her the chance to write to her brother, he offered to return her to him too. May also could've been wendigo dinner if it wasn't for the king. Drew had given her _many_ reasons to be comfortable around him, yet she wasn't. He also gave her few, but considerable, reasons to leave, but she also didn't want to go. May could tell she was frustrating and confusing the king, but didn't know how to stop. After all, how could she enlighten him when she herself didn't know the answers?

"May."

May gasped. She then sat up and looked around. Everything in the room looked the same except for the left side of her bed. Someone was sitting on the ground. Someone with black hair.

"Ash?" May quickly got off. "Ash, is that you?"

"Yeah," Ash answered, keeping his eyes on the carpet.

"Are you alright?" May sat beside him. "You left so suddenly."

"That's because I remember everything now," Ash told her. "About the wendigo, about my death."

May tucked in her knees. "Where did you go?"

"I went back to the cave to look for my wife," Ash answered, "but then I remembered if she was eaten by the wendigo too, there would be nothing left of her."

"Ash," May quivered, "I'm so sorry."

Ash said nothing.

"Ash," May called out, "Drew told me you have to leave soon. Your spirit can't stay in the living world any longer or else you'll become evil."

"I can believe that," Ash commented, "being in a world you no longer belong to can make a person mad."

"Drew said we can put you to rest by resolving the conflict keeping you here," May told him. "Do you have an idea what that could be?"

"Yeah."

"What is it?" May immediately leaned forward. "Tell me so I can help you."

"You can't help me, May," Ash shook his head. "Nothing can."

"I can try," May insisted. "Ash, what's _wrong_?"

Ash sighed. He glanced at the carpet for a few moments before opening his mouth to speak.

"I can never forgive myself for putting my wife and me through this _hell_ ," he answered. "My wife _told_ me not to go, but I had to. It was the only way to the save the farm."

"What was happening to your farm?" May asked.

"I don't know," Ash answered. "All our crops just started dying. My wife and I tried everything to grow more crops, but it seemed like our fields just stopped being fertile. I knew I had to do something. We had children and the rest of our town to feed."

May frowned and listened intently.

"That's when I heard about this competition in a town past the Hendercort Kingdom," Ash continued. "Whoever had the best-bred pig would win a hundred pounds of gold. I could've used that money to revive the farm or buy a new one, so I set off to enter. My wife didn't want me to go; she _pleaded_ me not to. But I didn't listen to her. I never listened to her! That's what she always complained about. If she were here right now, she'd say it!"

May bit her lip.

"And now she's dead because of me," Ash sighed. "She didn't want me to go alone, so she asked her sister to watch the kids. I _tried_ to make her stay, but there was no point. She'd never leave me on my own."

A tear fell down May's cheek.

"I thought about crossing over. I've seen the light a bunch of times," Ash continued, "but the thought of Misty being on the other side scares me. What if she doesn't want to see me? What if she doesn't forgive me? I know I don't."

"Ash."

Ash jumped when May took his hand. It seemed to surprise May as well, for she gave his hand a squeeze for reassurance. It was the first time May had physically touched him. The fact that he was a ghost made the experience even more bizarre.

"You need to forgive yourself," May told him. "You didn't leave because you wanted to; you left because you _had_ to. You were in a life-and-death situation that didn't just involve you, but your family and your town. You did what was basically your last option to save them. No one could stay mad at you for that."

"I can," Ash remarked. "Because of me, my children no longer have a mother or father."

May inched back. When Ash saw the horror-stricken look on her face, he turned back to the carpet.

"I'll..."

Ash kept his eyes away.

"I'll take care of your children."

That got Ash to turn back to her.

"You will?"

"Yes," May nodded determinedly. "I'm of royal descent. I could give them all the riches they need to survive."

"You'd," Ash trembled, "you would do that?"

"Of course," May answered. "I'm a _princess_. It's my job to take care of the people, even if they're not my own."

"May," Ash sat up and fully turned to her, "how can I ever pay you back for this?"

"Go to the other side," May told him. "Go to your wife. Tell her you love her."

May gasped when Ash engulfed her into his arms. She bit her lip when his arms squeezed her tightly.

"I-I will," Ash trembled. "I will."

When the two pulled away, Ash turned to his right.

"The light," he said. "I see it."

"Go to it, Ash," May croaked. Tears were finally streaming down his face. "Your wife is waiting for you."

Ash stood up and walked forward. He gave May one last look, a smile, before taking the final step. His body then disappeared, fading into oblivion.

May cupped her mouth and sobbed into her knees. She pulled her knees closer, soaking her gown with tears.

"That was a good thing you did."

May gasped. When she looked up, she saw Drew standing by the doorway.

"H-How," May stammered, "how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," Drew walked forward, "the second I heard you talking to someone, I immediately rushed to your door. Then I heard you say the ghost's name and decided to wait a bit."

"Were you standing in the hallway," May raised her voice, "this _whole time_?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Princess," Drew sat beside her. "I'm a vampire, remember? That kinda comes with super-hearing."

May huffed and wiped her tears away. She hugged her knees and leaned on them.

"That was good advice you told him too."

May quickly turned to him. "What advice?"

"That he shouldn't blame himself so much," Drew reminded, "that he only did what he did to save his family."

May blinked. "Like how I'm marrying you to save my kingdom?" she remarked.

"Well, yeah," Drew said, "but again," he lowered his voice, "you can always change your mind."

May blinked again. She looked at the doorway, watching the lamp's yellow light casting shadows on the wood.

"I won't."

Drew blinked. "You won't?"

"No," May shook her head. "I made a deal with you, and I'm going to fulfill it. I'm also going to give you that chance to save your kingdom, just like you gave me a chance to save mine."

Drew leaned forward. "So you'll stay?"

May looked at him and smiled.

"Yes," she said. "I'll stay."

Drew gave out a sigh of relief and leaned back against her bed. He didn't intend for his relief to be expressed, but he didn't care at that moment. May giggled and leaned back with him.

"That was also a smart lie," Drew added.

May furrowed her eyebrows. "What lie?"

"The one about helping his kids," Drew told her. "I didn't think he'd leave until you said that."

"That wasn't a lie."

Drew paled.

"I _am_ going to help his kids," May affirmed.

"You...can't be serious."

"I am."

Drew groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. " _May_."

"He and his wife left to provide for their children and town," May told him. "With them gone, not only are their kids going to be parent-less, their town is going to starve!"

"Are you saying you want to provide food for an _entire town_?" Drew asked. "Do you know how _expensive_ that would be?"

"Well, we can't let the people starve!" May told him.

"And you can't save everybody!" Drew remarked.

May frowned.

"Look, May," Drew took her by the shoulders. "I know you want to help everybody in trouble, that's great, but you gotta be realistic here. You and I are both in the monarchy, so we both know the limits of our kingdom's power. Your kingdom may have a chance to provide food, but my kingdom feeds on the very people you're trying to save."

May gasped.

"Well, mostly animals," Drew corrected, "but you know what I mean! There's nothing my kingdom can provide."

"Your chefs just served me beef and rice!" May reminded.

Drew blinked. "Oh. Yeah."

" _Please_ , Drew," May clasped her hands together. "I know your kingdom alone may not help Ash's children and town, but with my kingdom's help, it could be possible!"

"Hmm," Drew crossed his arms. "I don't know."

" _Please_."

Drew sighed. May leaned forward, her hands still clasped. Her eyes were wide and glossy.

"Let me look at the town first," Drew decided, "so I can know what I'm dealing with."

May sat up. "Really?"

"Yeah."

May squealed and pulled him into her arms. Drew wailed when his head hit her shoulders.

"Oh thank you, Drew!" May said. "Thank you, thank you, _thank you_!"

Drew stiffened. He had never been that close to the princess before. He felt her thin arms encircle his torso, pulling his broad body to her small one. He slowly leaned his head against her ear. His own arms were about to go up, but the princess suddenly pulled away.

"I-I'm so sorry!" May tucked her hands on her stomach. "I d-don't know why I did that."

Drew stared at the princess with wide eyes. May kept her head down, but stole glances once in a while to see if his expression had changed. It didn't, not for a while.

Drew looked down as well. The sensation he felt when she embraced him was...odd. He had been in the arms of many women before, but none of them made him felt the way he was feeling then. At least, not for a long time. And the feeling didn't arouse him like he had expected it to, which made the situation even more strange. He had yearned to touch the princess since he saw her, so he should've responded more..actively when she touched him first. A few dirty thoughts should've came to his head, at the very least. But none of that happened. Instead, he felt something else, something he wanted to feel again.

"I-It's okay," Drew said, taking one of May's arms and placing it at his side, "everyone needs a hug sometimes."

May was surprised at the gesture, but didn't pull away. She only looked at her arm, and then into Drew's eyes. His gaze wasn't predatorial as she expected. They were warm, comforting, inviting...

"Y-Yes," May trembled, putting another arm around Drew's side. "Yes, they do."

She slowly leaned into his shoulders. Drew encircled her waist so he could pull her even closer.

~.~

Drew tucked a strand of May's hair behind her ear and watched May's shoulders rise and fall. After the two had embraced, the princess grew immensely sleepy. Drew had left the room so she could sleep, but returned for the second time that night to check on her. He was amazed every time at how at ease the princess looked. May usually appeared scared, angry, or sad; and when she smiled, her grins had a tinge of worry and/or fear. At that moment, however, May looked perfectly content. That was when Drew decided no trouble would come to her again. The princess shouldn't look different than she did at that moment.

Footsteps were suddenly heard from the hallways. Drew was immediately at the door that moment, staring intently at the man that would've been their intruder. Never mind that the man was a servant. The servant, like the others, were strictly ordered to keep away from May when she slept.

"What are you doing here?" Drew ordered. "I thought I told you and the others to stay away from the princess."

May turned lightly on the mattress. The vampire didn't realize that his loud demand awoke her and that the princess was peeking at him with lightly raised eyelids.

"Th-There is a woman waiting for you in the throne room, Y-Your Highness," the servant responded. "She mentioned something about saving her h-husband from a wendigo."

May's eyes immediately opened.

"But how did she get here?" Drew asked, more to himself than the young lad. "Alright, I'll be there."

"Did she say what her name was?" May asked.

"May!" Drew yelped, staring wide-eyed at the woman standing next to him. He was more alarmed at the fact that May snuck up to him without him noticing. "You're supposed to be asleep!"

"I want to help," May stated.

Drew frowned. The serene expression he wanted to keep on her face was gone.

The princess turned to the servant. "What is her name?" she asked.

The man shuffled in his spot, even more so when Drew glared at him. "M-Misty," he struggled to say. He made sure to keep his eyes away from May as he reaffirmed, "her name is Misty."

May gasped.

"Drew!" she grabbed the king's shirt and started shaking him with it. "That's Ash's wife! But..."

She looked down.

"I thought she was dead."

"Oh great," Drew groaned. "She better not be another ghost."

May gasped and gripped his shirt again.

"We _have_ to talk to her!" she told him. "C'mon, let's go to your throne room!"

"No, _I'll_ talk to her," Drew gently pushed her off him. "Go back to sleep; I'll take care of this."

"I can't go to sleep now!" May retorted. "How can I sleep when Ash's wife could be _alive_?"

"I'll figure it out," Drew told her. "Just go back to sleep, May. You've had a long day."

"I promised Ash I'd take care of his family," May crossed her arms. "If his wife is alive too, I have to take care of her too."

She put her hand on her hips and glared at him for emphasis. Drew glared at her too, but not for long. He eventually sighed and shook his head.

"Fine," he said, "just...here."

He removed his coat and placed it around May's shoulders.

"Cover yourself."

May blushed and looked down, realizing she was still in a nightgown. Then she remembered where they were going to go and quickly put the article on. She could feel the king's warmth as she slipped her arms in the sleeves. The fabric inside was cotton, and with Drew's minty-citrus scent pervading her nose, May felt both comfortable and dizzy. Then she realized she was feeling _Drew's warmth_ , something that shouldn't have existed considering he was a _vampire_. Weren't vampires supposed to be dead? What was happening?

"Let's go," Drew said, pulling May along gently. He glared at the servant, who he caught staring at May, until the boy skittered ahead of them. Drew immediately pulled May closer to him. May, to both their surprise, didn't pull away.

It wasn't long until the three reached Drew's throne room. May made sure to note which hallways they passed before staring at the woman in front of Drew's throne. The room was grand and dark like the others, but had extra touches to it that were meant not only to represent Drew's hierarchy, but to intimidate those who entered it. Like Drew's representative kingdom flag, and the countless swords belonging to what May had guessed were soldiers Drew had slain.

But May was too distracted by the woman to think about that last observation. As Drew sat himself down, May stood beside him and looked at the woman closely. The lady had short orange hair that barely touched her shoulders, and viridian eyes that glowed orange under Drew's chandelier. She was dressed in a light brown dress in a style much similar to Ash's rural outfit, but the dress was tattered, dirty, and, to May's horror, heavily teared upon.

"Who are you?" Drew sat back on his chair. "And how did you get into my kingdom?"

"My name is Misty Ketchum," the woman answered. "My travel to your castle was not easy. I had to fight off several of your people until I was captured and taken here."

May quickly turned to Drew with wide eyes, but Drew didn't seem fazed by the woman's words.

"You must be a skillful fighter," Drew commented. "All of my people are ordered to behave when outsiders come, but many crooks are more than happy to break that rule. Fighting them off long enough to be taken here means you must be good at holding your own."

"I was training to be a soldier until I married my husband," Misty told him, "but now my husband is in danger, and I can't save him on my own."

"Why don't you tell me exactly what happened, Mrs. Ketchum," Drew entwined his fingers.

May clasped her hands tightly below her hips.

"My husband and I were traveling until we got lost," Misty started. "We tried to take a shortcut through the woods, but that was when we were captured by creatures called wendigos. They took us to their cave and bound us to their ceiling, but I was able to break free and escape. I wanted to tell my husband I was going to get help, but didn't want to alert the wendigos. So I left without a word, and here I am."

The woman expected a response but didn't get one. Drew frowned and looked at May, and May returned his look.

"You must help me, please!" Misty stepped forward. "My husband doesn't have much time!"

"How did you escape the wendigos?" Drew asked. "They could see and hear in the dark. They could also smell you if they can't."

"They were probably not in the cave when I left," Misty guessed, "but I didn't want to risk it. When I wasn't attacked after I broke free, I took that opportunity to leave as quickly as possible. I didn't think about it at all; all I thought about was getting away and getting help."

The king and the princess shared another worried look, and Misty growled impatiently.

"Please help me now!" Misty demanded, prompting the couple to look back at her. "My husband could be eaten at any moment, so we have to get to him now!"

"I-Is..."

Misty whipped her head at May.

"Is your husband's name," May asked slowly, "Ash?"

Misty gasped, her eyes widening.

"How," she stepped forward, "how do you know that?"

May suddenly lowered her head, avoiding eye contact.

"Hey!" Misty growled. "How do you know my husband?"

"Don't yell at her!" Drew ordered.

"I want to know!" Misty remarked. "You!" she pointed at May, "how do you know my husband?"

Drew was about to stand up, but May quickly held him down.

"Were you sleeping with him?" Misty demanded.

May gasped. "No!"

"Then how do y—"

"He died right next to me!" May yelled, surprising every one in the room. Misty was the most shocked, however, for she almost collapsed to her knees.

"Wh-What," Misty trembled, "what did you say?"

"I was taken to the wendigo cave, just like you and Ash were," May told her. "Drew tried to save us, but Ash was...gone before he came."

Misty froze.

"His spirit followed May here to my castle," Drew grumbled from May's hold, "but May helped him cross over."

Misty's eyes widened. "H-How?"

"By promising him I would take care of his family," May answered, "and I _promise_ you, I intend to keep that word."

Misty continued to tremble, but no words came out of her mouth. She stared into the space in front of her, dazed.

"Drew," May turned to the vampire, "can she please stay here?"

Drew jumped back. "What?"

"Just for the meantime," May told him, "until we can return her to her children."

Drew was about to argue even more, but May's eyes had that certain look again, and he conceded.

"Fine," Drew sighed. "I'll tell my servants to feed her first so she doesn't starve to death."

"And your serv—"

"They won't hurt her," Drew interjected. "Promise."

May exhaled a sigh of relief, prompting the king to look at her.

"Thank goodness," May smiled, placing a hand on her chest. Seeing that made Drew smile as well.

Misty, who was officially a grieving widow, heard their exchange but didn't move.

~.~

"But I don't want to sleep."

" _May_ ," Drew groaned, "I already took you to see Ash's wife, what more do you want?"

"I want to talk to her," May told him, "she can't be alone right now!"

"She has to be," Drew remarked. "Besides, you've seen the look on her face. Do you think she's in the mood to talk?"

May bit her lip and looked down at the dark red carpet. The two were back under the doorway of May's chamber; Drew had yet to take back his coat. The way the lanterns lit up May's face made Drew suddenly yearn to touch her.

"But," May rebutted weakly, "but..."

"May, listen," Drew said, taking her by the shoulders, "I've been doing what you wanted me to do this entire day. Can you do what _I_ want _you_ to do for a change? It's a little unfair for you to be the only one having your way, isn't it?"

May bit her lip. "I guess..."

"All I'm asking for you to do right now is sleep," Drew told her. "We both had a long day, so we both need a break. More you than me."

"Why?" May asked.

"Because vampires don't sleep," Drew answered, "which is good since I have a lot of things to figure out."

"But if you don't sleep," May pointed out, "why do you have a bed?"

Drew gave her an odd look, perhaps a combination of surprise, amusement, guilt, and mischief. May gave him her own weird look until realization finally hit her.

"Oh goodness."

Drew immediately turned away, and then immediately wondered why. He had never been ashamed of sleeping with other women. In fact, sometimes, he was even proud. So why was that changing at that moment?

"Anyway," May continued slowly, evidently avoiding eye contact, "can I write that letter to my brother first?"

"Tomorrow," Drew stated.

May eyed him intently, but that time, it was Drew's look that won.

"Okay," May grumbled.

Drew smiled and gently pushed her towards her bed. May slumped under his touch, but then realized something.

"Oh, your coat," May turned around just when they got to her bed. She quickly shrugged the garment off and handed it to him. "Thanks," she said.

Drew blinked at her, and then at the leather material. He then raised his hand to take the coat.

"No problem," he responded.

"Drew?"

Drew looked back at the princess. "Yes?"

"Thank you," May told him, a big smile forming on her face, "for everything."

Drew smiled back. It felt a bit awkward for him to do so, but he put the feeling aside. He was distracted by the look in May's eyes, which no longer had a shade of worry, anger, or fear.

"You're welcome."

~.~

Max slowly rose from his bed. He winced when a dash of sunlight hit his eyes, then sat still for a few moments while his eyes adjusted. It was officially the first day he would have to live without his sister. The very thought of it made the prince's eyes stung. They had yet to recover from the tears they had shed the previous night, so a fresh wave of tears was the last thing they were prepared for.

A sudden bark outside the door snapped Max out of his reverie. Before the prince could properly respond, however, Roger burst into his bedroom and jumped onto his bed. He hopped up and down continuously before covering Max's face with slober.

"R-Roger," Max grumbled in a gravely voice, "I just woke up, calm down."

But then he realized something was tied to the dog's neck. A silky red ribbon wrapped Roger's neck like a collar, with a thin scroll of paper attached to it.

"Wh-What?" Max sat up. "Roger, hold still."

The dog obeyed excitedly and sat in front of his master. Max quickly untied the ribbon and unrolled the paper. What he saw next made him freeze.

 _Dear Max,_

 _I really hope you're doing well. I have only been away from you for a day and still miss you terribly. I feel horrible for leaving you. My only consolation is that you are safe._ _I hope you are not angry with me._

Max's hands started to tremble.

 _I cannot describe how overwhelmed I am with yesterday's events. When I arrived at King Hendercort's kingdom, I ran into a dark forest in hopes of saving a man in distress. But the man turned out to be a wendigo, a horrible creature that hunts and eats humans. Drew was able to save me before I was devoured, but another of the wendigos' hostage was eaten. That hostage's name was Ash. When he died, his spirit followed me and Drew back to Drew's castle. He and his family were farmers that provided crops for their town, Pallet. Their land was failing to grow more food, so Ash and his wife set out to find a solution. But then they got captured by wendigos in the dark forest I mentioned earlier. Ash blamed himself for leading his wife to her death (but she turned out to be alive, thank goodness) and leaving their children without parents. That guilt was what kept him from resting in peace. I related to his guilt fully, because it was the same guilt I felt when I left you._

Tears started brimming in Max's eyes.

 _I told him he shouldn't feel guilty, for he only did what he thought was the only option to save his family; but when that didn't suffice, I promised I would take care of his family, maybe his town as well. I know it wouldn't be an easy feat, but I promised to do my very best. Drew agreed to assist me, as long as our kingdom of Petalburg assists as well. I don't know if Davian is still ruling or if you had taken over (please tell me, I really want to know), but whatever the case may be, can our kingdom lend a hand?_

Max nodded. He would make sure to fulfill his sister's wishes.

 _Please don't worry about the vampire king. Drew, King Hendercort, may be mean-spirited at times, but he has much good in him, much more than our wicked half-uncle. Not only did he allow me to write letters to you, he also invited you to our wedding._

Max stiffened.

 _I will get to know the king better, but I promise you I will take care of myself. I will also continue to write letters to you so we are never truly apart. I want to say more, but the space in the paper is running out. I will end this letter by saying I miss you, Max, and whether you are the king now or not, and I really hope you are, I believe you can take care of our kingdom. Please write back as soon as possible. I would really love to hear from you._

 _-Your beloved sister, May_

Roger tilted his head. Max seemed to be finished reading, but continued to stare at the paper.

"She's..."

Roger leaned forward.

"She's alive," Max sighed, falling back to his pillows as tears streamed down his eyes, "and she's okay."

Roger barked excitedly and licked his master's face. Max let out a relieved chuckle and pet the shepherd on the head.

"I gotta write back as soon as possible," Max sat up, "but first..."

He smirked, remembering his sister's faithful words.

"The new king of Petalburg has work to do."


	6. Chapter 6, The Taste

Chapter updated on March 24, 2016.  
Changes: basic error correction

* * *

"Good morning, Princess."

May stirred in her laid position, but it wasn't until a hand shook her shoulder did she slowly open her eyes.

"Get used to waking up to darkness."

May gasped when the mattress dipped beside her legs.

"There's no sunlight here."

"D-Drew?" May asked, rubbing her eyes as she sat up from the bed. "Wh-What are you doing here?"

"Serving you breakfast in bed," Drew raised the tray he was carrying to her vision. "I hope you know how lucky you are right now. Kings are usually the ones being served, not the other way around."

May rubbed her eyes again. The tray Drew was carrying held a bowl of oatmeal topped with two sunny-side-up eggs. At the side of the bowl were a spoon for the oatmeal, a glass of milk, and a cup of blueberries. May's mouth immediately watered at the sight of them, even more so when the steam of the oats rose to her cold cheeks. The room was still dark when the princess looked around, making her think it was still night time. Drew, however, looked different. He still had a long, black cape, but wore a dark red dress shirt under a gold-studded purple vest with black pants and shoes. May was relieved that the king decided to change from his all-black attire, but something else had more color that day. May wasn't entirely certain, but it seemed that the king's complexion, which was usually pale white, was tanned.

"What's the matter, Princess?" Drew tilted his head. "Want me to feed you too?"

May shook her head. When Drew narrowed his eyes, that was when she finally absorbed the appearance of his face. The king had sharp green eyes, which were accentuated by his structured cheekbones. He had a long face with a pointed nose and chin, and short green hair that traced from the sides of his ears to the top of his head. May unconsciously crossed her legs. Her pupils dilated as her breathing started to become ragged. It didn't take long until Drew finally realized what was happening. A smirk grazed across his features as May's cheeks reddened.

"My, _my,_ Princess," Drew purred, "you aren't being _aroused_ by my appearance, are you?"

May shivered and inched back, but her attempt to feign disgust was discerned. Drew widened his smirk and neared her. May shook her head and fell back when the king's shadow covered her breakfast tray.

"N-No," May negated, raising her arms in defense, "i-it's just...your skin…"

Drew's smirk immediately faded. The king then leaned back and slumped into his sitting position.

"I know," he said, "I saw it too."

"You did?" May leaned forward. "But how? Aren't you…"

Drew raised an eyebrow. "I can see my reflection, if that's what you're implying," he said. "Vampires can see their reflections, May. Not every vampire myth you hear is true."

May shifted in her seat, looking down in slight shame.

"Anyway," Drew sighed and stood up from the bed. He ambled to the wall and eyed the lantern intently. "I need you to finish eating so my servants can tend to you."

May picked up the spoon from the tray and took a bite of her breakfast. She almost squealed with delight when the egg yolk burst into her mouth. "You sound worried," she commented, pouring a spoonful of blueberries into the oatmeal before savoring their sweet, but tangy, taste.

"I just want to get to Pallet as soon as possible," Drew told her. "Once we're done with that, we can finally head to our destination."

"Which is?"

"Fairy Kingdom."

May froze, suspending her oatmeal just inches from her mouth. "F-Fairy Kingdom?" she asked.

"Yes," Drew turned around. "I know its queen and how she can get us answers to our...situation."

"You mean," May lowered her spoon, "how I'm breaking the spell?"

"Yes," Drew confirmed, walking toward her. He then stopped just two feet away and looked her in the eye. "So finish your meal quickly," he said, "okay?"

May nodded and swallowed another spoonful. "Thank you for the breakfast," she acknowledged. "It's delicious."

"Glad you liked it," Drew nodded. "I'm going to prepare for our trip, but call me when you need anything."

"Wait," May called out, just before Drew turned to the door.

"Yes?"

"Can I write to my brother now?" May asked. "I slept, just as we agreed."

Drew frowned, but took a moment to consider her words. "Okay," he then said, "I'll come back with paper and a pen. If you write the letter now, your brother can receive it around noon."

"That's okay," May nodded, looking up to smile, "that's usually when he wakes up."

~.~

Unfortunately, May's contentedness that morning didn't last for long. Once the parchment was in his hands, Drew immediately ordered the maids to bathe her. The princess was used to being assisted in the washroom, but she wasn't used to maids eyeing her so...lustfully. The women's eyes were wide and red as they bathed her in soap and water. Their unnerving gazes faded a bit when May became covered in suds, but once the bubbles were washed off, the princess was vulnerable again.

Things didn't get better when she started to dress. All the dresses the maids offered were completely black, which contrasted May's light and more lively clothing preferences. It took a while for May to pick a dress she found most suitable, and she only found it so because it covered her the most. It was a long black gown that covered everything but her face. Her arms were covered, her legs were covered, and most importantly, were neck was covered. The dress was simple, with some decorative ribbons and lace, but May only focused on the relief she felt when the hunger left the servants' stares. At least, a _little_ bit of the hunger.

When the maids were finished with her makeup, May wished she never wore some at all. Her face was almost pale white, her eyes were clouded with black eyeliner and eye shadow, and her lips were as red as blood. May was certain she never looked so...dark before. She frowned to express her discontent, but the maids didn't care. They left the room in a hurry, like consequences would be enacted if they didn't.

"You look beautiful, Princess."

May turned around. Drew was under another doorway; that time, her dressing room's. May watched him approach her with eager eyes and deepened her frown. "Please don't look at me like that," she requested, reflexively wrapping her arms around herself, "the maids have done quite enough of that."

"Don't worry, Princess," Drew smirked as he stopped in front of her. "My maids won't do anything as long as I'm here, and I won't touch you unless you want me to."

May squirmed under his gaze, keeping her eyes on her fidgeting fingers. "Wh-What about Ash's wife?" she stuttered. "Will _she_ be okay?"

"She didn't want to be tended to by the servants, so I asked for her privacy," Drew answered. "She's waiting for us right now in the carriage."

"O-Okay," May nodded, forcing herself to look back at him, "let's go to her then. I want to see if she's alright."

Drew nodded and extended a hand. May flinched at the gesture, but accepted it to hide her struggle. She never got to take a step, however, for she was immediately pulled into Drew's hold. May squeaked when her breasts hit his toned chest.

"I've been on this earth for centuries, May," Drew purred, his voice rumbling darkly beside her ear. "Don't you think I know when a woman is aroused, and how to respond?"

May was about to retort, but yelped when the wall hit her back. The sudden move wasn't enough to hurt her, but it was enough to stun her. She was barely starting to recover when Drew's breath tickled her lips.

"Say you want me, May," Drew hissed, his chest firmly pressing against her own. " _Say it_."

"I…" May trembled. "I…"

She was silenced by the king's lips. She let out a muffled gasp, but it only allowed Drew's tongue to enter her mouth. She lifted her arms to do something, anything, but only left them suspended in the air. She took a breath when Drew pulled away, but held it when he started sucking on her neck. She felt his tongue trace from her collarbone to her ear, leaving a cold trail that made her shiver. Then Drew did something, something she wasn't prepared for. He raised his fingers, tugged the collar of May's black dress…

And bit her.

Not enough to pierce her skin, but enough to leave a mark. That was the moment that changed everything. Before Drew knew it, he was forced into thin, but strong arms. He let out a pleasured groan when his hair was yanked into dainty fingers.

" _May_."

He was immediately back to her lips, but that time, it was May that was pulling him closer. Drew's tongue was practically ravaging her mouth, but May returned the brutality by raking his neck. When Drew bit her lip, May's moan echoed loudly through the room. Her left hand combed his hair while her right hand scraped his back.

"Ahh..."

Drew froze. May's breathy cry continued to ring through his ears, even after they were cut short by her staggered panting. What made him stiffen, however, was the reverb of her voice. He felt it through the tips of his canines, which were suddenly grazing her skin.

Drew stepped back. The sound of May's blood rushing through her veins thundered in his head. Then everything became bright it was almost blinding when May's major blood vessels became visible to him. He took a step back, and then another.

May dazedly opened her eyes. She shivered slightly at the absence of Drew's body, then searched the space in front of her to see where it had gone. That was when she saw what Drew had become. His tanned skin had become pale again. His fangs had elongated past his lips, and his eyes were blood red. May didn't know it, but her suddenly-increasing heart rate caused Drew to groan and stagger back. She could only stand dumb-foundedly, and vulnerably, as Drew continued to widen the distance between them.

"D-D…" May leaned forward, "Dre-"

" _No_ ," Drew growled, taking another step back. "Stay there."

May did as she was told. Then, before she could stop him, Drew sprinted out of the dressing room. She vaguely heard him command a servant before he flashed out of sight.

When she was sure Drew wouldn't return, May brushed her lips with her fingers. Then, more shakily, her throat. The collar of her dress was torn to expose her neck. May trembled when she felt the remnants of Drew's kiss traced across her skin, and more so when she felt most of it above her pulse. He could've killed her, she realized then. How long his fangs had been pointed at her neck, she didn't know. She couldn't have. Not when he was touching her in a way she couldn't...couldn't...

That was when May realized something else, something that made her clutch her neck in horror. She wasn't afraid of Drew. She was afraid she wasn't.

~.~

Large barn doors slammed open at the flick of Drew's wrists. The farm workers inside were startled by the resulting noise, but quickly returned to their work when they spotted the red tint on their majesty's irises.

"Get me a bull," Drew ordered. " _Now_!"

Men and women shuffled out of their positions and darted to the back of the compound. In more ordinary days, when the king was only moderately hungry, they would've knocked out a cow so Drew could drink without causing it pain. But because it was one of those days when Drew's hunger spiked with his impatience and anger, they were trained to do something else. In a matter of seconds, a bull emerged from the shadows. It was large, angry, and headed straight for Drew.

Drew's pupils dilated as he listened to the animal's blood rush through its veins. The bull only made it a few feet from the king before Drew slammed it to the ground. The animal cried when it hit the floor and then roared when Drew sunk his teeth into its flesh. Blood leaked from the king's mouth as the rest gushed down his throat. The bull flailed in the king's hold, struggling to escape, but as its blood left its body, so did its strength. A minute later, the bull was dead.

Drew lifted his head, blood dripping from his chin and canines. It wasn't enough, he decided. Even when he had fed the night before, he felt like he hadn't eaten in days. A raging bull's blood should've satiated his hunger, it always had, but to his growing confusion, it didn't. Then he realized why. The answer had flowing brown hair and wide blue eyes.

A group of farm workers slowly approached the king, rags and buckets of water in their hands. They expected him to step aside so they could tidy the mess, but Drew did no such thing. Instead, he turned to them, his fangs still long and his eyes still red. His chest heaved up and down, and the servants stepped back.

"Get...me," Drew panted, "another...bull."

~.~

Roger suddenly barked out into the air, causing Max to look up from his laid position. The prince wiped his tears away and sat up as the dog ran to the door.

"Max?"

Roger barked again as an old lady walked into the room. She wasn't an ordinary old lady, however. She was Evelyn, May and Max's past nanny. Evelyn wore a light blue dress with a white apron, and her gray hair was bunned to reveal her bright green eyes. Max narrowed his eyes and speculated why his guardian was walking rather rigidly, but then he saw the scroll in her hand.

"Good morning, dear," Evelyn greeted. Her tone sounded heavy, but Max disregarded it to scrutinize the parchment. "I see Roger has brought you the good news. I made sure he was the one to deliver it to you."

"Thanks, Evelyn," Max acknowledged. He tossed the blankets off his feet and ran towards the maiden. "How did we get it?"

"A hawk arrived this morning with two scrolls attached to its back," Evelyn answered. "The first scroll was the letter you read from May. The second one was from King Hendercort."

"King Hendercort?" Max swiped the scroll she handed to him. "Why would _he_ send me letters?"

"It's not an ordinary letter," Evelyn told him. "It's a—"

"Wedding invitation," Max finished, his eyes and mouth wide open.

The letter wasn't written on formal parchment expected from a real invitation, however. It was written as an informal note scribed in thick black cursive. It may have been short, but it explained the message clearly: the wedding date had yet to be set, but the Petalburg Kingdom would have a week's notice once one was arranged. Only Max could attend the wedding, and he would be brought to the event in a carriage sent by the king. If Max wasn't prepared by the time the carriage arrived, he would be left behind.

The paper let out a crack, prompting Evelyn to look at its holder. Max's eyebrows furrowed while his lips exposed his gritting teeth. May might have told him to think less ill of the king, but doing so was impossible. The vampire did take his sister away from him. Yes, May had chosen to go, but it was only to save their kingdom from destruction. She had many years to be happy, years she could've taken to marry a man for love, but it was cut short to live the rest of her days with a monster. And didn't May just say that she was almost killed without even one day passing? She said the vampire had saved her, but who was to say she wasn't forced to say that? Or worse—she didn't resort to delusion, convincing herself her situation wasn't so bad to cope with her difficult circumstances?

Max almost crumpled the paper and threw it aside. He wasn't going to watch his sister marry that beast. He wasn't going to watch her "I do" her life away and suffer for the rest of her days. Max almost wished May died instead, just so she could be salvaged from the chaos they were suddenly thrown into. But he quickly tossed the thought away. He couldn't handle it if May was gone. She was all he had left in that world, and if she were to die…

"Max?"

Max forced himself to look up. Evelyn was looking at him with dull, tired eyes, and he could only tighten his jaws as her wrinkled hand took hold of his callous one.

"May will be alright," she told him. "May is a tough woman, you and I know that. She will be okay."

"I know she's tough," Max remarked, "but she's still a human! She was almost eaten alive yesterday! Isn't Hendercort's kingdom filled with vampires? How do I know she isn't being eaten right as we _speak_?"

"May told you not to worry," Evelyn reminded him, "She also seems to have faith that the vampire king will take care of her. Can you not have the same faith?"

"Of course not!" Max retorted. "How can I have faith in that cocky son of a—"

Roger barked out, raising his paws to the prince's waist. Max was practically heaving that moment, his eyes wide and teary, but another bark and a whine from the shepherd allowed him to relax. Max raised his hands to hold the dog's head between his palms and lowered his own in grief.

"May entrusted you with the kingdom, Max," Evelyn told him, "and she only did so because she knew you could handle it. She did her part to save you and the kingdom. Now she and the kingdom need you to do yours."

Max growled.

"She's not just a princess, Evelyn!" he snapped, dropping Roger back on the ground to glare at the elder. "She's my sister! Can you stop thinking about the kingdom and focus on May, the girl you've been raising since she was a kid!"

"I'm sad that May is gone too, Max; don't accuse me otherwise!" Evelyn remarked. "But I can't disregard the kingdom! King Hendercort wiped out most of our army, so the kingdom is defenseless. If something happens to our land and we all perish, then May's sacrifice would be in vain!"

Max grunted and turned away, but Evelyn caught his shoulders slumping in defeat.

"I'm not asking you to stop caring about your sister, Max," Evelyn continued, in a softer tone that time. "I'm asking you to trust her, just like she, and all of us, trust you."

Roger leaped again to rest his paws on Max's waist. Max stepped back to balance himself, and then stroked the dog from the back of his ears to the arch of his back. He sighed. As much as he didn't want to concur, Evelyn was right. He and May had indeed suffered greatly, but it was to save him, Roger, and everyone else in the kingdom. As much as he wanted to do something—save his sister, attack the vampire's kingdom— _anything_ to change their current circumstances, he could not. He could, however, defend their kingdom with all of his might, and ensure that yesterday's tragedy would never happen to him, or anyone else, again.

"Okay," Max stated, rubbing Roger's head before setting him back down, "I'll...do my best."

"Good," Evelyn nodded, "because the council is holding a meeting today. Today at twelve."

Max jumped " _Twelve_?" he demanded, "but it's…" he glanced at the clock on his right and widened his eyes, "TEN!"

"The meeting was arranged at the last minute," Evelyn said as Roger licked the prince's hand. "May's letter wasn't the only unexpected thing we have received today."

"Really?" Max looked up, taking back his hand. His previous questions concerning his old guardian's mannerisms returned to his mind. "What else did we get?"

"Terrible news," Evelyn answered gravely. Her shoulders became rigid as her thin hands clasped together. "We have been alerted of an army headed for our kingdom."

Max widened his eyes.

"We're going to be attacked."

~.~

May trembled a bit where she stood, then stumbled towards the large rectangular mirror beside the room's gown chamber. When she saw her reflection, she couldn't help but step back. Despite the messy encounter she had just had with the king, her lips' weren't smudged with the ruby shade of her lipstick she expected. What bothered her most, however, was her dress collar. She knew it was torn off, but it was still shocking to see her neck so exposed. May quickly covered the skin with a hand and trembled as the realization of what happened returned vividly to her mind. Did she really perform such an act with Drew, after only a day of acquaintance no less, and was nearly killed for it? It wasn't assault though...was it? He did touch her before she could say the consent he supposedly needed, but it wasn't like she did anything to stop him. To make matters worse, she ended up pulling him to her, lusting for him as he was for her. But was that a... _bad_ thing? It did nearly result in her death and reverted Drew back to his vampire form. Then again, it wasn't like she could resist. She didn't even try. She did try to _hold back_ at least, to restrain herself from doing something she would regret.

But then...then he bit her. That was the start of the chaos May feared. She knew she had been attracted to the vampire king for quite some time. She didn't know from when or why, but it was a fact that paralyzed her, eliciting reactions that confused both herself and Drew. But then Drew had her skin between his teeth, and everything became crystal clear. It didn't matter if Drew was dangerous or not. His blood-hungry characteristic awakened a desire she hadn't realized before, a desire she wanted to fulfill again: the desire to be bitten.

May gasped when the door creaked open. She expected, almost wanted, Drew to enter, but who she saw instead didn't disappoint her. Misty Ketchum was escorted by a female guard until she too was inside the room. The orange-haired maiden kept her eyes narrowed and teeth clenched as the guard closed the door behind her. May was relieved at least that she was neater than she was the other night. The widow changed from her ruined farm dress to a navy gown with matching blue flats. She wore no makeup on her face, making her face appear more lively than May's darker setup; but she had a scowl on her face, making her physical appearance make no difference.

"H-Hello," May greeted. She dared two to three steps toward the widow. "How are you feeling?"

The orange-haired maiden said nothing. She only watched as May dared to take a few more steps.

"A-Again," May stuttered, slowly reaching arms-reach, "I really am sorr—"

"Please," Misty interrupted, stopping May in her tracks, "don't."

May flinched, curling a bit in her place.

"I just want to go home to my children," Misty stated. "Why are we delaying our trip?"

"I-I...," May paused. She recalled the recent events yet again and her cheeks immediately reddened. Drew had announced their departure to Pallet, but their heated encounter caused him to flee and delay it. Misty was staring intently at her, so her blush didn't go unnoticed. Then she also noted her ruffled hair and torn collar, and a conclusion was immediately drawn.

"You've been making out with the vampire king," she declared, "and he nearly bit you."

May gasped, immediately covering her neck with a hand. Her face became completely red, and she sputtered incoherent words in a pathetic attempt to deny her accusation. But Misty had a scowl that moment, and the princess was silenced.

"I could be taking care of my children right _now_ ," Misty snapped, "and you deny me this right because you and the vampire king couldn't keep your hands off of each other!"

May weakly opened her mouth.

"And you're not even a vampire," Misty shook her head. "What if he killed you?"

May bit her lip, taking a small step back.

"My husband is dead, and my children are starving," Misty continued. "If you really wanted to help us as you said you did, then you wouldn't prolong our suffering!"

"I do want to help you," May suddenly stated. Her voice sounded feeble, but resounded enough conviction that made Misty stop and listen. "But you have to be patient with me," May continued, "I'm betrothed to the vampire king so he wouldn't destroy my kingdom, and he only threatened to do so because my half-uncle attacked his kingdom first. Then I was nearly killed the same day after witnessing your husband die in front of me, and my brother is all alone and who knows what could be happening to him right now and…"

May clutched her head with both hands and took a sharp breath.

"I'm confused, and alone, and afraid," she confessed. "I really am sorry for what happened to your family, and I really want to help you, but right now, I don't even know if I can help myself."

Misty's expression softened, but only a little. She turned away from May and walked a few steps away from her direction.

"How long is the king going to take?" she asked, her back faced to the princess.

May released her aching head. "I don't know," she answered, almost with a sigh. Then she paused and glanced at the door. "I can look for him."

"Please do," Misty turned around. "The sooner I'm returned to my family, the sooner the both of us get rid of at least one problem."

May blinked. Then she took a moment to absorb her words and immediately understood.

"Alright," she nodded.

Misty watched her stride toward the wooden door, open it, and peek through the opening. Unfortunately for them, Drew's guards were standing right next to the exit. One of them shot May a look, and the princess closed the door.

"There are guards outside," May stated. She sighed and trudged towards the widow.

"So what do we do?" Misty asked. "Stay here and wait for the king to come back?"

"We have no choice," May said. "The guards are faster and stronger than we are. Their hearing is better than ours as well, so they'll know what we'd plan even if we whisper."

Misty clicked her tongue and punched the wooden part of a couch. Realizing that there were couches in the room, she plopped onto one's cushions and bowed her head to her knees. May remained at the spot Misty left her, staring at the widow's back awkwardly. Then, after few seconds of consideration, she took a seat beside her. The widow didn't seem to mind, for she didn't move a muscle.

May kept her gaze low, but stole quick glances at Misty's dimly-lit face. It was obvious that Misty was a tough woman. Her face was stern, even at the face of tragedy that had struck her just the night before. But May had also suffered a tragedy that previous day, and she could recognize the look of despair and helplessness on Misty's face as she had on her own, even if it was concealed somewhat by a tough exterior. That was when May realized that she had a friend in that situation. Someone she could relate to, at the very least. She wanted to tell Misty many things—what had happened to her, how she had responded, the life she had before everything drastically changed, but no words came out of her mouth. She only watched as the widow stared blankly into space. It wasn't long until she too shared a dazed look into the emptiness.

~.~

Max slipped his last arm into his green coat's sleeve and ruffled his hair until no strand stuck out. He fumbled with his white shirt's collar, and then groaned when a grandfather clock presented him with only ten minutes before twelve. The prince raised a finger to readjust his glasses, but the finger curled slightly when it only touched air. That's right, Max thought. He got rid of the glasses when he was ten. One would think living without the big black frames for seven years would rid the habit. Then again, the reflex only resurfaced when Max was nervous. It was his first council meeting as king, after all. He would no doubt be treated differently, but that didn't bother him as much. It was the responsibility he would burden that made his stomach turn.

As he neared the doors to the conference room, two guards watching it side by side turned his way and bowed. "Your highness," they greeted.

Max opened his mouth, but said nothing. Did one greet others a certain way if he was king? How would his dad respond? But Max didn't get the time he needed to answer when the guards opened the doors. He flinched when he was temporarily blinded by sunlight, but five pairs of eyes watching him alerted him to stand tall. The council members definitely looked different than they did the other day. If they were devastated back then, that devastation was doubled, maybe tripled, that afternoon.

"My king," Cornelius called out. He stood up from his chair upon Max's arrival, making his white robe rustle. "We are glad you could make it."

"Y-Yeah," Max responded. Then he shook his head. "I-I mean, yes," he corrected, fumbling to a large wooden chair facing the rest of the members. "Who's coming toward us?"

"A powerful wizard named Harley," Trinidad answered. He stood up from his chair and approached the map hung behind him. His long white hair swayed a bit as he raised an arm to the fabric. "A group of travelers arrived this morning with the news. A large army is coming towards the kingdom from these mountains," he pointed to a mountain range far north of the Petalburg Kingdom. "They said that the soldiers range from hundreds, maybe thousands."

Max gulped. "How long would it take them to get here?"

"That is what we are trying to predict," Thebes, another male council member, answered. "If we were dealing with humans, their arrival would take at least two weeks."

"But they're not humans," Elsaba interjected. "Harley is a wizard, and his army consists of cactus demons."

Max widened his eyes. " _Cactus demons_?"

"They're half cacti, half monsters," Trinidad hissed, marching his way back to the round table. "I've heard of many stories of travelers being ambushed in the deserts by those creatures. Travelers are mutilated and tortured before being drained of their fluids. There are rarely any survivors to their attacks, but those who do come back to narrate the tale all say what remains are unrecognizable."

Max cringed. He had to remove his hands from the table to hide how much he was shaking.

"But wh-why would this be happening?" he asked. He cursed himself mentally for the stuttering slip of weakness. "I thought my father established treaties to the surrounding kingdoms."

"Harley and his cactus demons don't reside in a kingdom," Trinidad told him. "They live in a desert within the mountain range. They're more like wild animals than a real civilization."

"But why are they attacking us?" Archaea, a female elder with braided gray hair, asked. "Have they always wanted to? Were they only waiting for our kingdom to be vulnerable before doing so?"

"I bet Davian is involved with them," Thebes remarked. "Why else would he randomly send our soldiers to their deaths?"

"Now, now, settle down, you two," Cornelius broke up, his white eyebrows furrowing. "Now is not the time to conjure conspiracies."

"Cornelius is right," Elsaba collaborated. "Our kingdom is under attack once again. We should focus on contacting the other kingdoms and ask them for their assistance. We may have soldiers in reserve, but their numbers aren't enough to defeat Harley and his demons."

Max stiffened when a horrible thought came to his head. "But what if they don't help us?" he asked.

"They have to," Trinidad retorted. "Our allies rely on our exports to keep their own kingdoms functioning. If we lose our resources, and we probably will if Harley turns our kingdom to a desert, then our allies will suffer as well."

"Then why are we still sitting here?" Thebes demanded. "We have to send those requests for help as soon as possible! Harley and his fiends could attack our people at any second, and our civilians are starting to doubt we can take care of them."

Max held a breath.

"Should we tell the people that an attack is coming our way?" Archaea asked.

"No," Trinidad shook his head as he returned to his seat, "it will only send them into a mass panic."

"But if they're really starting to doubt our rule as Thebes had told us," Elsaba interjected, "it is best that we are honest. If, heaven-forbid, Harley attacks the kingdom, and the people didn't expect it, then it will only turn the people against us."

"If our grieving civilians find out that we are hiding the possibility of more heartache," Thebes added, "then that grief will turn into mistrust that will cause our land more destruction than the wizard and his demons can ever cast upon us."

"My king," Cornelius called out, averting everyone's attention to Max, "what do _you_ think we should do?"

Max froze. All five of the council members suddenly had their eyes on him. They were staring again, waiting for an answer. Max opened his mouth, but no words came out of his lips. Instead, he only trembled in place, which became more and more apparent as silence continued to be his only answer.

"Your highness?" Archaea called out. "Are you alright?"

Silence.

"We don't have time for this," Thebes blurted out. "Prince!" he called out. "We need an answer."

An answer they got, but not one they expected. Instead of offering his input, Max ran out of his chair, leaped to the potted plant at the lower-right corner of the room, and threw up. The elders immediately stood from their seats, watching as Max emptied his breakfast on the soil.

"Did the prince eat something rotten?" Elsaba asked.

"Perhaps," Trinidad surmised, "but it will have to be dealt with later. We need to make a decision now and protect our people. Our time is drastically limited."

"So let's decide," Cornelius declared. "Who here says no to requesting help from our allies? Prince?"

Max trembled against the pot and let out another gush of vomit.

"How can we make decisions without the prince's word?" Trinidad asked.

"I-I agree…"

Everyone's eyes turned back to Max, who was slowly standing up from the pot. "W-We should ask our allies f-for help and," he paused to swallow, "tell o-our people about th-the a-attack."

"Okay," Cornelius nodded. "We've heard our prince's word. Who here sa—"

Max didn't hear the rest of the conversation, for he immediately ran out of the room.

~.~

May and Misty lifted their heads when the door opened behind them. When they turned around to see who had entered, they simultaneously stood from their seats. Drew still had the doorknob in his hand when he met their intense stares. Unbeknownst to them, he was gripping the knob so hard, it was only a twitch away from being scrap metal.

"What is it?" Misty approached him. "Can we leave now?"

Drew looked at the widow for a few moments and then looked at May. May had her head lowered the moment he entered, so she didn't know he was looking at her until the silence between them became awkward. Once she lifted her gaze, emerald irises clashed with her sapphire ones. The tension became suffocating for what felt like hours, but an angry voice broke through their reverie, disconnecting their intense exchange.

"Can you two make amends _after_ you return me to my town?" Misty demanded. "You have offered assistance, and I would like to have it now."

Drew narrowed his eyes and glared at the widow. _Nobody_ spoke to him with such disrespect. Anyone who dared to suffered a slow, painful death. But May caught him giving her the silent warning, and Drew was forced to turn away when May gave her _that_ look again.

"Let's go," Drew said.

Their short, but seemingly-long trip to the carriage had them share no words. Drew walked ahead of the ladies, Misty trailed a close, but safe distance behind him, and May followed meekly at the back. May glanced at the two from time to time, but kept her gazes short in case one of them turned around.

When the three have reached the outside, they saw that the skies were as dark as they expected. May was still a bit shocked, however, for she was accustomed to her mornings being bright and invigorating. It didn't help that the carriage, that had two carts, was black from inside and out. May started to tremble as she and Drew were escorted to the front cart. Misty was led to the back. A guard extended a hand to assist the princess up the steps, but Drew took her hand and guided her himself. The act sent May into a storm of emotions she couldn't discern. To appease herself, she lifted her skirt and hurried inside the cart.

The cart doors slammed shut and, after a few minutes of preparations, the carriage took off. May placed both palms on the ruby red leather of her seat as the vehicle slowly ascended from the ground. She forgot that the winged obsidian horses pulling the carriage could fly, but perhaps it was because her thoughts distracted her that she didn't think much of it. She was fully alert that moment, however, for Drew was sitting directly in front of her. May widened her eyes and kept her head low. When she stole a quick peek at the king, she caught him turned to her direction, but not looking directly at her. His eyes seemed glazed, like he was concentrated in his thoughts. Then he blinked and made eye contact, and May immediately turned away. She hoped it would get the king to look away as well, but he continued to stare at her, making her regret catching his attention in the first place.

May frowned. Then, out of growing awkwardness, stiffly looked up. Drew's eyes widened for a fraction when her own eyes met them; then they slowly lowered, communicating an emotion that made May shift in her spot.

"I'm sorry," Drew apologized quietly.

May blinked once, then twice.

"I shouldn't have forced myself on you," Drew continued. He looked at his open palms, then clenched them. "I don't know what came over me."

May's eyes widened as her back hit the cushions. She wanted to say something, anything, but was too lost for words. She may have not known the king long, but she didn't expect him to be the type that apologized. But he did, and that fact alone was enough to make her speechless. Drew was watching her then, waiting for an answer. Then he took a quick glance lower, and immediately looked away. May raised her hands, thinking he was looking at her breasts, but the fabric of the torn collar brushed against her fingertips, and she understood.

"I," she took a deep breath, "I...forgive...you…"

Drew immediately looked back.

"If...If it helps," May continued slowly, "I wasn't...afraid."

Drew froze, his body going rigid. His eyes were wide and shaky as he stared at her in disbelief. "Why?" he asked.

May crossed her legs. Her initial response was to say she didn't know, but she knew she would be lying. She _did_ know, she knew so well. At least, since the moment he left her in the dressing room.

"Be...Because," May gripped her skirt. Drew's pupils dilated as May bit down her lip. "Because I liked it."

Drew was immediately on top of her, pulling her from the waist to crush her lips between his. May groaned and hooked her legs around his waist. Her fingers found their way back to his hair, then gripped it right as Drew's lips swept across her cheek. He tightened his grip around her waist as he licked and sucked at her neck. She unleashed a breathy cry, then moaned when Drew caught her flesh between his teeth.

"D...Drew," May gasped.

Drew stopped. May grunted and tugged his hair, urging him to continue; but the king stayed in place.

Drew pulled away and looked into her eyes. His hair was disheveled, his suit was wrinkled, and his eyes were blood red. May should've snapped out of her daze when his canines started to extend to her vision, but her legs instinctively pulled him closer, allowing something hard and large to twitch against her pelvis.

May's arms and legs practically collapsed when Drew flashed back to his seat. As she straightened her posture, she watched him grip the sides of his head and take big, deep breaths. His fangs eventually receded, but they would prolong from time to time, revealing his internal struggle. May herself was out of breath, and her entire being was shaking. She placed both palms against her seat to steady herself and waited for her heart to calm down. It didn't. It only beat more ferociously as a drop of sweat trickled down Drew's cheekbone.

May knew she should've felt terrible that they _both_ lost control again, and that was what was scaring her the most. There was no doubt that she had little to no regret for what happened. In fact, she wanted it to happen again, and again, and again.

What was wrong with her?

When Drew finally released his head, he kept his eyes closed for a few moments first and then opened them again. He tensed when he saw May, however, and immediately took another set of breaths.

"W-We," he managed to make out, "can't keep...doing this."

That got May to the edge of her seat.

"What," she asked, "what do you mean?"

"When...I lust...for you," Drew trembled, "I also lust...for your blood."

May froze.

"So until...the curse is broken…"

Drew took a sharp breath.

"I can't touch you."

May inched back, her eyes and mouth agape. Drew raked his head and turned to the window, though looked at nothing after. The thick silence that proceeded was suffocating. May suddenly felt cold, so she crossed her arms to warm herself. A frown grazed upon her face as another storm of thoughts bombarded her head. Why was she so sad? Was it because she and Drew could no longer continue their encounters? If so, _why_? She had only met him yesterday under the worst circumstances. They might have been engaged, but it was out of necessity, not romance. And since when was she so...passionate? She was always a behaved, level-headed lady that was often praised for her grace and elegance. Never once did she react or instigate anything like a lusty quean. Where had that side of her emerge, and when? Was it always in her, or did Drew's rough, but skillful, handling give forth to it?

May had about two hours to figure that out, but the time wasn't enough. Pallet Town was only seconds away before she realized it, but she didn't find out because she was informed. She _sensed_ it, and the sensation filled her with dread. Drew seemed to have noticed as well, for he was immediately looking out the window.

"I don't remember this town looking so," he frowned, "lifeless."

"Let me see it," May stood up and approached him. What she saw shocked her as well, for she squinted her widened eyes to assure herself her vision was true.

"I don't have a good feeling about this," Drew confessed, stepping back as he did so. "Let's drop the widow off quick and get out of here."

May was about to retort-she—still had to check on Misty's children and assess how deep the town was in ruin—but as the carriage slowly descended toward the ominous town, she found herself more and more lost for words. When she did found some, to her surprise, it was to tell herself what she would've said to Drew; because as the carriage started to descend, she started wanting to turn around and never come back.

When the carriage touched the ground, Drew's assistance down the vehicle was appreciated by May's trembling body. Drew quickly took his hand back, however, so May had to comfort herself with her own arms. She looked at Misty, who was just exiting her cart, and watched her viridian eyes enlarge.

"What," Misty took a few steps forward, "what happened here?"

Pallet Town was a village filled with small, but clean, wooden buildings. The carriage landed in what seemed to be a market street, for there were surrounded by wheeled carts, stands, and large placards. The fact that they were on such a busy street unnerved them, for the street wasn't busy at all. It was void of any sign of life, human or animal. Produce and livestock that would've been on sale had either decayed or perished, so not only could lifelessness be seen by the newcomers, it could be smelled as well.

May covered her nose and mouth with her hands and fought the urge to gag. Drew and his coachmen, who remained at the carriage, however, didn't seem fazed. May was about to ask how they could endure such a stench, but her attention turned when Misty suddenly ran off. The widow headed toward the south part of the market street, where a place that looked like it used to be covered in grass and shrubbery was replaced with barren beige soil.

"H-Hey!" May went after her. "Wait!"

She didn't get that far when Drew pulled her back with an arm.

"Let her be," Drew told her calmly though his tone sounded slightly irked. "We've dropped her off, now let's go."

"How can you _say_ that?" May demanded, whipping around to glare at him. "Look at this place! How can we leave her here when the town is...is…"

"I know," Drew said, "and I know you want to save this place too, but I think we both know that we've come too late."

May gasped. "No!" she shook her head. "No, we haven't! We can still do something. We can…" May turned back to the direction Misty ran to. "Misty!" she cried, turning back to face the king, "I promised I'd take care of her and her children, at least. She must've ran off to her and Ash's farm!"

"We have to _go_ , May!" Drew hissed. "Can't you see this place has already been doomed? I can sense nothing but death in this town, and whatever killed them off still hasn't left!"

"Y-You mean," May stepped forward. "Everyone here has... _starved_ to death?"

"I," Drew paused and looked down, "I don't know. Something far worse than famine had struck this land. This dark aura, the one we're feeling right now, it feels very familiar."

"So you've encountered this before?" May asked. She unconsciously gripped his arm, allowing Drew to feel her fear through her shaking hands. That fear was the only thing he could sense around them that was still alive. It was why he didn't want May to go further into the town. If she was that devastated at just the _possibility_ that everyone she tried to save had died, imagine the horror that would strike her if she saw even one dead body.

And her last question was exactly the same one he was asking himself that moment. He had faced many horrific tragedies, more horrific than the one in Pallet, but his particular visit to the town gave him a chill. The scene around them may not have appeared as morbid as most of what Drew had experienced, but he suddenly had the urge to bring May back to the carriage and fly away as fast as possible. The dark aura surrounding them was becoming more dark, sinister, and sickeningly familiar.

Then he gasped. "May!"

May was running in the direction Misty ran off to. She didn't get far, of course, for he flashed in front of her to stop her tracks. That was when he remembered everything. He gripped May's shoulders, which became useful when she started to struggle.

"Let me go!" May demanded. "Let me _go_!"

Drew almost did when he spotted the tears streaming down her face. That anger, that despair.

"May…"

"I promised Ash!" May cried, still flailing to get out of his grasp. "I promised Ash I would take care of his family. I already failed his town and I can't…I can't let his family die too!"

"May, _listen_ to me," Drew requested, "I remember now, okay? I remember what this aura is, where it came from, and how it killed these people."

"Wh-What," May gasped, "What...What is it?"

"I'll explain it to you in the carriage," Drew told her, "but we have to leave this town _now_."

"I can't!" May rebutted, struggling against his hold again. "I have to save Misty and her children, I have t—"

May gasped, becoming stiff in Drew's arms. Drew's eyes widened as May collapsed to the ground.

"May!" Drew cried, catching her right before she hit the soil. "May!"

But May could barely hear him at that point. Her eyelids fluttered sporadically as her breathing became more and more labored. It was like the air was poisoning her.

The air...was poisoning her.

"May!" Drew cried out, shaking her to keep her awake. "May don't...don't." Then he grunted. Don't what? Don't _breathe_? May, unlike him, needed to breathe air to live; but if she breathed the air in the town, she would die even faster.

Drew gasped. That was it.

Drew immediately lifted May from the ground, but froze before he could move a muscle. He couldn't flash out of the town with her in his arms; her human flesh wouldn't take the speed. If he tried, May would be reduced to a ball of flames.

Drew roared in frustration and collapsed on the ground. That life he sensed in May—the bright, warm essence he wanted to maintain—was fading away. The fiery blue eyes he strived to ignite was growing dull, and they gave him one last haunting look before slowly closing shut. Forever.

Forever.

Drew's entire being shook. He had many people die, many at his own hands, but May could NOT be one of them. She just...she just couldn't. He wouldn't allow it. Especially not by... _him_. HIM. What was _he_ doing? They made that deal, so why were people still dying at _his_ hand? But Drew didn't linger too long on the question. He became focused on May, and how he could do nothing to stop her inevitable death. He could only close his eyes and hiss as he sensed only a trickle of life was left in her body.

That was when he grasped May's head and raised it. His eyes flashed crimson as his elongating fangs stroked the side of her neck. May's dress collar was completely ripped off then, but the proceeding exposure didn't stop at her neck. It tore to reveal the skin of her left breast. Drew lowered his head, lifted May's chest to his mouth…

and bit into her heart.


	7. Chapter 7, The Catalyst

Hello, everyone! After months of production, the next chapter of this beautiful story is finally up! It usually doesn't take months to write one chapter, but if I want to write a good chapter during an incredibly busy life, I'd have to take my time. I apologize for the late publishing and thank you for your patience. Feel free to check out my profile regularly to see how the story is doing, maybe find another to read to pass the time.

Enjoy!

* * *

Drew tightened his grip on May as his fangs dug deeper into her heart. His canines glowed red, and a stream of black smoke seeped from the tips of his teeth to the chambers of her organ. The stream then spread to every blood vessel, tissue, and then cell.

May's skin paled. Her breathing came to a stop, and her body flailed and convulsed. Drew didn't realize what he was doing until there was nothing left to drink. He gasped and inched back.

"No."

He grabbed May by the shoulders.

"May!" he screamed. But May's eyes remained unopened, and the life that used to emit from them was gone. "No…" Drew shook his head. "NO!"

He looked up to his coachmen, who were only staring in disbelief. He had done the very thing he was afraid to do. No. This was worse, Drew realized. This was way worse.

He lifted May off the ground and dashed to the carriage. "Take us to Fairy Kingdom," he ordered. "Now!"

The coachmen didn't need to be told twice. Before Drew could close the door behind him, the carriage was off.

~.~

Max sat on the edge of his bed, gripping his hair. Roger came up to give him a few licks on the cheek, but when Max continued to keep his head depressed, the dog whined and settled beside him. It had been almost an hour since Max had stormed from the meeting with the council members. Many had knocked on his door, but Max refused to answer to any of them. He didn't want to see them; he didn't want to see anyone. The only reason Roger was there was because he was the only one that didn't judge him. Roger didn't expect anything from him either, which made it easier for Max now that he was completely lost.

"Max?"

Max groaned. "Leave me alone!" he said for the umpteenth time. "I don't want to see anyone right now."

"I understand, and I am sorry for your affliction," Evelyn apologized, "but I am not here to offer you comfort this time. I am here to introduce you to someone that can help."

"I don't want to speak to a counselor."

"He isn't a psychiatric counselor. He is your father's advisor."

Max froze. He looked at the door and then at Roger. Roger might not have understood what Evelyn had said, but he understood the mixed emotions emanating from his master.

"T-Tell him I'll meet him another day," Max stammered.

"You have to speak to him now, Max," Evelyn insisted. "You are to address the people later today, and you need his guidance."

"Speak to the people?"

Max turned to Roger, whose eyes were wide only because his was.

"But why?"

"To console them of yesterday's events."

Roger blinked. He wondered why the mattress was suddenly moving. Then he realized that Max's arms shaking them.

"Don't be alarmed, Max," Evelyn consoled. "That is why I am introducing you to your father's advisor. Sir William is here to guide you, so you are not going through them alone."

Silence was her response. She understood that Max was thinking about her words and gave him a moment to think. When he remained quiet, however, she opened her mouth to speak.

But then the door suddenly opened. Evelyn saw the prince's swollen eyes and crooked posture. She already knew he wasn't doing alright; giving him the pity she and many others had already given him would make him retreat to his room. So she only gave him a comforting smile and nodded for him to follow her.

As Max walked through the countless corridors that snaked through the castle, he recognized certain passages he had visited as a child. His father used to have him shadow him in royal matters until Max's persistence to play drove him to surrender. Max regretted taking those days for granted.

When Max and Evelyn entered a large chamber with red walls, yellow carpet, and light provided by the sun, Max thought he had traveled back in time. His father's study had not changed in years. Maids have kept it tidy, yes, but every bookshelf, desk, potted plant, chair, and lamp were in the same places they were when Norman was still alive. Sitting on his father's chair was a man Max barely recognized. When the man noticed their entrance, he stood from his seat and beamed.

"Hello, your Highness," he greeted with an extended hand. "I'm not sure we have formally met before. My name is William Birch; I was your father's advisor. I never liked being called by my first name, so you can call me Birch."

Max blinked and looked him up and down. The man certainly looked familiar. He had wavy brown hair that brushed his shoulders and a well-trimmed beard that layered the lower edges of his face. His brown eyes crinkled somewhat when he smiled, and Max wondered if this was the big-hearted man his father had often spoken about. "So you've worked with my dad?" Max asked.

"Oh yes, I've served him for as long as he ruled," Birch answered, "but that doesn't mean our relationship was purely professional. Your father and I were close friends, you see, and I would often be at his side even when he traveled afar."

"That's," Max looked down, "good."

Birch blinked. The boy looked a bit sad for his liking, and he didn't understand why until he remembered what Evelyn had informed him. His cheery expression sobered somewhat then, and he offered the prince a consoling simper. "Don't you worry, Max," he said. "May I call you Max? That was how your father always addressed you."

Max nodded.

"Your father was a great king, and you will be too," Birch assured him. "He too had difficulty when he inherited the throne from your grandfather. Fortunately for him, I helped him become the great leader that he was. I know the circumstances of your inheritance are much more difficult than his, but I assure you that that will only intensify the support that I will offer you. Would you allow me to have that chance, Max?"

Max looked at him. The advisor's eyes were wide and hopeful. He was much more welcoming than Davian's advisor, who was recluse and almost nonexistent. Max understood now why the man had stepped down when his wicked half-uncle came to rule. Birch had the best of intentions; Davian did not. If his father could trust this man, Max decided, then so could he. He gave the man an affirmative nod.

"Great!" Birch hopped slightly and turned to his desk. "We have much to discuss."

~.~

Solidad smiled as a squirrel nibbled the peanuts in her palm. After the creature was done eating, the Fairy Queen stood from the grass and watched the animal return to the tree it was from. The tree was one of the many apple trees in her palace garden. Separating each one from another were fields and bushes of flowers. Three fairies stood patiently behind her wearing matching white gowns and hair accessories ranging from flowers, vines, glitter, and pearls. They had an ethereal beauty that could steal the breaths of those that looked at them, but the one that outshined them all was their queen. Solidad wore a scarlet gown with a slit that presented her creamy legs. The gown was parted by a gap held together by golden latches, revealing the crevice of her breasts. Her long peach hair swayed when she turned around with a golden tiara crowning her head. Her snow-white wings swirled with blue streaks scattered glitter on the grass beneath her.

Three fairies, Saedna, Aeby, and Coethe, sighed quietly as their queen returned to them with a smile. Their entwined fingers tightened, eager to hear her command.

"Saedna, Aeby, Coethe," Solidad called out, "what a beautiful day, is it not?"

"Yes, my queen," Saedna, the fairy with the short ginger hair laced with flowers and vines, replied. "I am sure the squirrel appreciated your generous gift."

"And he should," Coethe, the fairy with long, navy blue hair streaked with pearls, interjected. "It was fed straight from thy Majesty's hand."

"Speaking of feeding," Solidad grinned and turned to her palace. Her home's silver walls glimmered brightly in return. "Let us return to the palace. I believe it is time for tea."

"Yes, your Highness," the guardians turned to follow her. Glitter fell where they tread, but wouldn't stay there for long. The dusty essence had the power to slightly replenish life. This was good for the palace garden, for the fairies' constant visits to it allowed the greenery to bloom fresh with life all year long.

Their journey back to the palace was cut short, however, when a man with a pointy blue hat and matching uniform flew into their path. He made sure to levitate to the right side of the queen so he wouldn't be directly in front of her. He bowed in respect before greeting her with, "Your Highness."

"Roven, it's nice to see you today," Solidad returned. "Come stand in front of me so I can speak to you properly."

Roven nodded before doing as he was told.

"Now," Solidad continued, "tell me what is the news you are sent to deliver."

"Yes, your Majesty," Roven gave her another bow. "King Hendercort has arrived with his betrothed."

Solidad's eyes lit up. "Wonderful! Tell the maids to bring him into the tearoom. He and his fiance can join us for tea."

"He…" Roven added slowly, "has a specific request for you, your Majesty."

"Oh? What is the request?"

"To open the detention chamber."

Solidad's eyes widened. "What?" The queen's guardians gasped behind her. "But why?" Solidad stepped forward. "What needs to be detained?"

Roven lowered his head; his hands entwined together.

"His betrothed."

~.~

"She does look pretty," Solidad admitted, "even after you dressed her—and made her—a corpse."

Drew shot her a glare before glancing back at May. The princess was inside a large cage in the middle of a large room with white granite walls and floors. The cage itself was made of a clear, durable mineral, with thick bars leaving small gaps that could allow passage of small items. May laid comfortably on a mat inside with a small pillow under her head. Her arms were placed on top of her stomach where her wrists were restrained by glittery bronze bands chained to the floor. Drew grimaced at the sight of her.

"I knew you wanted your women to last as long as you do," Solidad continued. "I just didn't think you'd go as far as to turn a mortal into one of your own to do that."

Drew shot her another glare. Only he, Solidad, and the unconscious May were in the broad expanse, so nobody was able to hear their informal, and inappropriate, conversation.

"I didn't do it on purpose," Drew growled. "I had no choice. She was dying."

"Oh?" Solidad asked. "By what?"

"By him."

Solidad gasped and stepped back. "No…"

"She and I went to Pallet to drop off a woman there, and the entire town had been wiped out," Drew told her. "I didn't recognize what that strange aura in the town was at first, but when I did, it was too late. May was dying in a matter of seconds."

Solidad took a shaky breath and exhaled in the same manner. Her eyes were wide as her hands unconsciously grasped the air for something to hold. "No," she shook her head. "I mean, I knew the seal was breaking, but I didn't think he would get so far so soon."

"Wait," Drew quickly turned to her, "you knew the seal was breaking, and you didn't tell me?"

"I was about to the day we were supposed to meet," Solidad remarked, "but you postponed it."

"I have already told you my predicament!" Drew hissed. "But now," he turned stiffly back to May, "the situation has gotten a lot worse."

"But why would he do this?" Solidad asked. "I thought you two had made that deal."

"We did," Drew grunted. "I don't know why he decided to back out on it."

"And why did you turn the girl?" Solidad added. "Why curse her if you could've just allowed her to rest in peace?"

Drew's fists clenched. Solidad waited for a verbal answer but heard none. "You really didn't want her to die," she softly concluded. Drew flinched. "Why?"

Drew quickly walked forward and grabbed the bars of May's prison. He seemed to have forgotten their purpose, however, and immediately recoiled when the bars singed his hands.

"Really, Drew?" Solidad tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "You'd rather burn yourself than answer my question?"

Drew growled and whipped back to her. "Why I do things is none of your business. Your job is to preserve life, not question why one has to lose hers or not."

"But here I am, assisting the man whose job is to _take away_ life," Solidad remarked. "If I'm going to do my job loosely—and for your sake I might add—I, at least, deserve to know why."

Drew let out an aggravated sigh and turned back to May. Her body was still on the mat, motionless.

"I didn't choose to take away lives," Drew stated. "At least, not out of interest."

Solidad frowned. "I know."

"If I want to save a life instead of take it away," Drew continued, told her "can't I have the right to do that?"

"Perhaps," Solidad tilted her head. "But why her? Why the princess?"

Drew turned around, his expression hard and conflicted.

"Why _not_ her?"

~.~

"This is disgusting," Taeko grimaced, holding a pot of blood a distance away from his chest.

"I know," Evirn agreed, eyeing the container in repugnance. "To think that vampires eat the essence of another being's life to sustain their own. It makes me sick."

The servants fluttered their way down the hall, wearing the same blue outfit Roven was wearing. The ceramic container Taeko brought was white and as big as his chest. Though a large cover sealed the pot shut, the fairies could still smell the metallic stench that permeated into their nostrils.

"What makes me mad is that the Vampire King turned the Petalburg Princess into one of his kind," Taeko grunted. "I've met the princess before, you know. She was nice, really pretty too. Now she looks like somebody had dug her up from the ground."

"Do you think her kingdom knows about this?" Evirn asked.

"They should," Taeko said. "If they don't, I'll tell them myself. They deserve to know what their enemy has done to their princess."

Two large doors guarded by armored fairies loomed ahead of them. Their thick vanilla walls were traced with silver swirls, like many of the doors in the castle, so people who weren't familiar with the grounds would have no idea how drastically different their purpose was, as well as what was inside.

After the guards had regarded their presence, they opened the doors and allowed the servants inside. The resulting groan from the entries echoed loudly.

"There she is," Taeko said, placing the pot of blood in front of the prison. "Do we just slip it inside?"

"Yes," Evirn nodded, "but we have to do so slowly. The queen has told us that the princess could wake up any minute and that despite our reinforcements, the outcome could be severe."

Taeko's jaw hardened. "Yeah. I heard that when the Vampire King and his kingdom first re-emerged as vampires, the entire world was nearly slaughtered. The only reason not everybody was killed was because the Fairy Queen back then kept them from doing so."

"I've never seen anyone transform into a vampire," Evirn told him. "I've never seen a vampire kill another being either. I wonder how dangerous they can be."

Taeko raised his eyebrow. "Would you like to push the pot in and find out?"

Evirn responded to his half-sarcastic question with a glare, but his eyes had a hint of hesitation. Taeko widened his eyes.

"F-Fine," he stepped back, gesturing to the cage with a hand, "suit yourself."

Evirn's shoulders went rigid before turning to the prison. The princess was still in her position. Her body was unmoving, and with her pale complexion and bloody torn dress, Evirn was reminded again of a corpse. He slowly bent over, grasped the container by its handles, and lifted it to a gap in the cage. He started slipping it through the space, his hands shaky as the po—

"Boo!"

Evirn nearly dropped the pot as Taeko started laughing beside him. He leered at him, his eyes blazing with anger.

"Why would you do that?" he demanded. "That is not acceptable!"

"Y-You," Taeko hiccuped, "you should've seen your face!"

"This isn't funny, Taeko!" Evirn let go of the pot. "This is—"

He screamed. May was awake now, but her eyes were closed as she drained the blood from his arm. Evirn started to grow lightheaded. Then, right before he passed out, he landed hard on the ground.

Solidad and Drew burst into the room, but they were too late. Evirn was knocked out, Taeko was on the floor holding him, and May was trembling with blood dripping from her mouth. The princess's irises were red, and her canines were extended past her lips.

"You," Solidad marched toward May, "what have you done?"

May leaned back. "I-I'm so sorry," she said, tears streaming down her face. "I didn't m-mean to; it happened so fast and I—"

She stopped, finally realizing Drew's presence.

"Y-You," she trembled, "you...did this to me."

Drew stepped back. He wanted to say something, anything but had nothing. He could only give her a helpless gaze as her expression twisted into one that almost scared him.

"Why?" May shrieked. She grabbed the prison bars but leaped back when the mineral burned her. She hissed and retreated. "You did this to me!" she yelled again at Drew. "You...You made me a monster," she sobbed, "just...like you."

Drew stepped back. Pain struck his chest, and he clutched his shirt as he staggered even further. Before Solidad could stop him, he ran out of the room.

"That's it."

May gasped when the bars of the prison connected into a sturdy wall. She looked at Solidad, whose hand was raised to the cage to cast the spell. "I will not allow you to hurt anyone else. Until these matters have been settled, you are not to leave this prison or my kingdom."

May could only sit with her mouth agape as Solidad and Taeko made their way out of the room. Evirn's arm was slung around Taeko's shoulder's, his body limp and half-alive.

~.~

Max followed the advisor and sat on one of the leather chairs in front of the desk. Servants entered the chamber with tea and biscuits as Birch placed paper and pens on top of the table. Max was grateful for the refreshments. The food allowed him to calm his rattled nerves.

Birch lectured about many things such as the mannerisms in addressing the people and keywords to mention and avoid. Max wrote down his advice avidly and prided himself at how quickly he was comprehending them. He knew he was intelligent and many, including his sister, have validated this. He wondered why he had never used this to his advantage, and then remembered that he had spent the time he could've done so playing and having fun with Roger. He shouldn't feel bad considering he was only seventeen. Then he realized that he was only SEVENTEEN.

"It is very important for the people to see that you perform your role well. It builds your reputation as an honorable king even when you haven't done anything to exercise the position," Birch continued. "But your efforts to impress your role will be in vain if the people see that you are insincere. If you want your followers to believe in you and your cause, you have to believe in yourself first."

Max looked up from his notes. "What do you mean?"

"You father gained the love and faith of the people because he wanted them to be happy and secure and believed he could do it," Birch told him. "His speeches were impressive, but his actions were even more so. He was never unsure or indecisive in any way—or at least, never showed it. He knew what he wanted and did everything to achieve it. That was one of the many things that made him a great king. His desires weren't dreams; they were tasks."

Max looked down and frowned. From the many subjects Birch had introduced to him, that last topic was the one he couldn't understand.

"Do you have a goal?" Birch asked.

"My goal is obvious," Max said, "run and protect the kingdom. That's the king's job, right?"

"Okay, good, you know your goal," Birch nodded, "but do you believe you can achieve it?"

Max blinked. "Well...my sister does. I don't know if everyone believes I can do it, but I know they expect me to do it."

"Well, it isn't enough that people want and believe you can accomplish your goals, Max," Birch told him. "As king, it is good to have the faith of your citizens; but what if your citizens lose hope? Will you lose hope as well?"

Max inched back and gulped.

"As the king of a nation, you have to remain steadfast in your faith," Birch continued, "you don't just protect your people; you inspire them as well. Many things keep a civilization alive—money, of course, being a primary one—but the main thing that keeps everyone alive is determination. If you have no determination to carry on, then there is no reason to find ways to do so, am I correct?"

Max wasn't entirely sure but stiffly nodded.

"You need to supply yourself with a lot of that determination," Birch went on. "You have your purpose; now you just need faith."

Max nodded again. He still wasn't certain he had understood the advisor's words, but maybe he needed more time instead of elaboration. Time was limited, however, so he had to figure out fast.

"Great!" Birch chirped. He could detect that Max wasn't confident but believed that he would figure it out. He just hoped that he would understand before their discourse to the people today, which they needed to work on next. "Now let's work on that speech."

~.~

Drew landed so hard on the rocky terrain, a crater formed from where he stood. It took almost no time to arrive at Mortem Temple with the speed he was going at. When the vampire looked up to the stone foundation, his eyes were blood red.

The doors keeping the temple's prisoner in was sealed shut, but Drew managed to move a door with a single hand before storming inside. The aura he felt at Pallet was so much thicker in the enclosure he would've suffocated if his emotions weren't already choking him.

"Oh, Drew! How nice of you to visit me."

Drew clenched his fists as he glared at the man sitting on an ancient throne. The man had long blonde hair that flowed elegantly to his chest as well as a purple outfit that was fitting for a ball. Drew hadn't seen the vile creature for centuries and didn't expect to for the rest of time, but with the dire circumstances suddenly thrust upon his undead life, he had to get things straight.

"We had a deal, Thanatos," Drew marched forward. "Why are you breaking it?"

"Straight to the point as always, I see," the blonde man sneered. He swung his legs off the armrest and sat up to cross his arms. "Fine by me. Your bluntness is actually welcoming compared to the dull routine I've developed in this wretched prison."

Thanatos leaned forward.

"If I were to point out as a matter-of-factly, you were the one that broke our agreement first."

Drew narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"What happened ten years ago when you were supposed to slaughter everyone in the Petalburg Kingdom?" Thanatos asked. "What happened to the lives you promised to take for me?"

Drew's eyebrows were furrowed until certain memories were called into his mind. His eyes widened then as the faces of the late king and queen of that kingdom blinded him with their long, terrified expressions.

"You were supposed to kill them all, Drew," Thanatos crossed his arms, "but you only killed the king and queen."

Drew's jaws hardened.

"Is not the maiden you proposed to—and turned—the princess of that kingdom?" Thanatos tapped his chin. "Does she know that you were the one that killed her parents?"

Drew gasped and stepped back. "How do you know about her?"

"You turned her, Drew," Thanatos walked toward him. "My curse is flowing through her system. I can feel her every thought and emotion like they were my own; and right now, she is hurt, scared, and angry. Very, very angry."

Drew grunted.

"You have wanted to break the curse for a long time, Drew, but you've never tried until you met the princess," Thanatos stopped to look him directly in the eye. "I thought you would do better than that, but I suppose it could not be helped. You still have your original living blood inside you, and it is begging for you to be loved again. The rest of your kingdom is feeling the same way too. They were not completely drained of their mortality either, so you have some supporters in regards to finding someone to love or be loved by again. But there is one person that _is_ completely dead—a person that died in your hands no less."

Thanatos's eyes crinkled when his smirk revealed two rows of sharp pointy teeth.

"The princess."

Drew gasped and staggered back. His body trembled more and more as the gravity of what he had done sunk deep into his bones.

"Consider yourself lucky, Drew," Thanatos said. "The only reason I'm not angry at your betrayal is because you are leaving me with something better. Without her mortality, the princess is not only stronger than any vampire in your kingdom, including yourself, but will also be more obedient to me. She won't want love like you do because as a person who is no longer alive, she does not need it."

If Drew's face could be paler than it already was, it would be. His fists trembled at his sides as he withheld himself from punching the wicked demon.

"Tell you what, Drew," Thanatos tilted his head, "I will lift the curse from you and your kingdom if you hand me the princess yourself."

Drew widened his eyes. "What?"

"Isn't that what you always wanted?" Thanatos asked. "To be loved again? To stop being the villain of everyone's story and be considered a life worth cherishing?"

Drew clenched his fists.

"Think about it, Drew," Thanatos returned to his seat and sat down. He kept his arms crossed as he sent him another smirk. "I'll be waiting, but if I have to wait longer than the centuries I had to endure, I'm going to...act out."

Drew said nothing. He only turned from the demon and ran out of the temple.

~.~

Max's fingers traced the cold surface of one of the cherrywood cabinets occupying the large hall of his family's legacy. The three chandeliers that hung from the ceiling were broken with their glass pieces splayed across the carpet. The room had yet to be tidied since Hendercort's attack, but Max didn't listen to the servants that told him to visit another day. He had many thoughts running through his head. The family room was the first and only location he thought would ease his mind.

The room represented his mental state well—destroyed. Large frames of his ancestors had fallen with some of the antiques tilted or shattered on the floor. Many of the books in the bookshelves were so scattered that Max had to walk over a few to reach his destination. He tried not to pay attention to the discord and focused on the crooked picture of his parents leaning behind the drawer he was standing by. His eyes glistened at his father's navy combed hair and black sharp eyes—which he both inherited—and his mother's eyes—which May inherited. When Max looked down at a smaller painted picture knocked flat on the table, he lifted it and thumbed the dust off the glass. It was a family photo of him, May, and their parents took about ten years ago. His parents looked as young as he remembered them. May was thirteen-years-old while he was seven (he couldn't help but shake his head when he saw his old glasses). They painted this picture about a week before his parents were sent to their deaths. Nobody knew how the king and queen's lives were taken away. The only reason everyone knew they died at all was because their bodies were returned in bags. It wasn't the way a boy should reunite with his parents, especially if he was only seven years old. His only consolation was knowing that they had perished for the sake of him, May, and the rest of the kingdom. At least, that was what the soldiers that brought the king and queen back had said.

Max frowned. Something wasn't right about the way his parents had died, but what was he to do? He supposed he could ask the soldiers that delivered them to him, but their responses were either vague or absent. It might as well be as if his parents were taken away from them without explanation. There were no answers.

Max gasped. As terrible as it sounded, he didn't truly question the cause of his parents' deaths until the moment he needed them most. They were gone; May was gone—he was the last remaining Petalburg left in the kingdom. He refused to acknowledge Davian as a family member. The bastard could die for all he cared.

Almost instinctively, Max placed the picture back on the depository and marched out of the room. His strides were broad and quick as he traversed through familiar halls and passages. After descending a spiral staircase far south of the castle, Max pushed through the wooden doors guarding his ancestors' catacombs. The room had always given him in a sick feeling, but his curiosity and overall chaos of emotions had distracted him from it. He no longer focused on the morbid environment preserving his past relatives. Two more corridors illuminated by lanterns and he was at his parents' coffins.

As ill as Max was feeling, he forced his strides to remain quick as until he stood between his parents' ossuaries. His hands were shaking now. Sweat trickled down his face. But answers, he reminded himself. He had to find answers.

A lift, a groan, and Norman's grave was revealed. Max cringed at what he would see, smell as well, until he saw what was inside the container.

Nothing.

~.~

When Solidad saw Drew again, he somehow passed the security she had set up in her kingdom and was standing before the doors of May's prison. He didn't make a move to open them, however. He only stood there, his expression hidden behind the shield of his back. It was 2 PM when he had suddenly left her nation. Now it was 10 PM.

Solidad tread the long hallway leading to the Vampire King. "I didn't think you'd return," she said.

"I had to," Drew muttered. He spoke so quietly she almost didn't hear him.

"Where did you go?"

"To Thanatos."

Solidad widened her eyes and stopped. No one had said the demon's name for centuries. Why was that changing? "What," she crossed her arms, "what for?"

"I asked him why he broke our agreement," Drew told her, "and he said that I broke it first. I was showing too much mercy."

Solidad frowned. The demon wasn't wrong. Solidad might not have lived that long, but she had heard many stories of Drew's brutality terrorizing the living for centuries. Little had fought against him. The last one to try was King Davian from the Petalburg Kingdom—and he had failed, as expected. But Drew was rather merciful in his response. Not only did he not completely wipe out Davian's army, but he also salvaged Petalburg by proposing to the princess. The proceeding marriage would not only spare the kingdom, but also bring it under Drew's care due to the resulting merge. Solidad didn't know if Drew had thought that far ahead, but she wouldn't be surprised if he did. Instead of telling him all this, however, she kept her thoughts to herself and asked, "What else did he say?"

"He gave me an offer," Drew said. "He'll lift the curse from me and my kingdom if I hand May over to him."

Solidad gasped. "What? But why?"

"May is faster and stronger than I am," Drew reminded. "And the reason for that is that she's completely dead unlike me and my people, whose life are only concealed."

"Wait," Solidad stepped forward, "you completely killed May?"

Drew, who still hadn't turned around, had his shoulders become rigid at the question. He didn't give her any other response which prompted her to take another step forward. "Tell me!" he heard her demand.

When Drew remained silent, Solidad didn't persist. The answer was obvious—more than obvious; she just saw the princess break through chains that were supposed to hold her down and nearly kill one of her servants. Solidad wanted to ask Drew why May was able to but with the information he just supplied, she deduced her own conclusion. May had become a bigger monster than the Vampire King himself, and the Demon of Death had full control over her.

Solidad marched until she was directly behind the king. "What are you going to do?" she demanded. "You can't possibly hand May over to him."

"I won't," Drew stated. "I've thought long and hard about it and I...I won't.""

"Was that a hard decision?"

Drew's shoulders lifted and fell. "Almost," he said. "Getting rid of the curse was something I've wanted to do for a long time, but I'm not going to lose it by giving it to someone else. I wouldn't want anyone to be burdened by it, not even my worst enemy."

Solidad frowned. "I'm sorry you have to carry that burden."

"Don't pity me," Drew shook his head. "It's part of the curse; if you give me too much pity, you might…"

When Drew didn't finish his statement, Solidad gave him a sad smile and said, "I know. Don't worry, Drew. I care about you, but I don't love you. I never will."

Drew finally turned around then. His eyes were wide and confounded. "You won't?"

"Of course not," Solidad sighed. "I've seen what you do to people that love you, Drew. You destroy them."

Drew grimaced. His fists clenched at his sides, and his jaws hardened when he turned.

"Anyway," Solidad continued, "you should talk to May. You have yet to."

"What can I say?" Drew looked at May's prison doors. "Would she even listen to me?"

"She deserves a chance to," Solidad said. "You did take her mortality without her consent."

"I know," Drew grunted, "and I wish I didn't, I just…" he sighed and slumped his shoulders, revealing a vulnerable side he only admitted to the Fairy Queen, "I just wanted to save her."

Solidad's expression softened. "She means a lot to you," she told him. "You don't necessarily love her, but she brings out your mortality."

"Is that," Drew looked at her, "is that how she's breaking the curse?"

"You can say that," Solidad suggested, "we usually talk about kingdom matters—not necessarily about how to run them, of course—but when we spoke earlier today, you only talked about her. Her and only her."

Drew inched back. His eyes were wide and confounded, but he couldn't find the words to voice his thoughts.

"You said you wanted to break the curse for a while now, most likely out of loneliness," Solidad continued. "Guessing from how you were talking about her, you saw May as an opportunity to live as a mortal again. Maybe it was that hope that was weakening the curse."

"Can," Drew gave her a skeptical look, "can that even be possible? Be enough?"

"Determination is a powerful thing," Solidad said. "It's one of the many things that makes a mortal alive. You don't see a dead person wishing to love and live, right?"

Drew looked down. He still wasn't sure if Solidad was speaking the truth but he came to her for a reason. Not because of a magical talisman or spell like one would expect from such a powerful figure. Solidad saw things he had lost the ability to perceive many years ago; Solidad could see his emotions.

"Talk to May," Solidad stepped forward. "She deserves to know what's happening. She must be as confused as she is terrified and if there is anyone that can alleviate those emotions, it would be the person that put her in this situation in the first place."

Drew's jaws clenched again. A sharp feeling struck his chest, but he knew it wasn't physical. It was an emotional response he hadn't felt in years, and it was the worse one he had ever felt in his lifetime.

Guilt.

Drew turned to the doors, raised two trembling hands, and pushed the entrance open.

~.~

Max gulped. The people below the main plaza's balcony was the majority of the kingdom's citizens. He could barely recognize one face from another; there were too many to count. The only images he could decipher from the innumerable expressions were fear, grief, and sorrow. It was like looking at his reflection.

He hazarded a step toward the crowd. Two more steps and they would be able to catch a glimpse of him. His right hand clutched the script he had written with Birch, and it crumpled the paper in a display of nervousness. Max wasn't sure if he had a fear of public speaking but it wasn't like he had an opportunity to discover it in the past. As playful as he was as a child, his only regular companion was May and Roger. Surprising himself, however, his thoughts on the matter were overshadowed by a much greater one.

When he opened his parents' coffins earlier, his mother's after his father's, he was horrified to discover that both encasements were empty. When he demanded the servants an explanation for this, they explained to him that the former king and queen's bodies have been missing since the first days they were buried. All they needed was Davian's order to search for them, but they received no such thing. When Max gave them his own command, he was denied. He wasn't the official king, they said, and in the look of some of their eyes and the tone of their voices, they doubted he could even hold such a position.

"Max?"

Max turned to see Birch approaching him from the right. "This is your moment," he said, nodding to the waiting crowd outside. "Are you ready?"

Max looked down at the speech. His jaws hardened at the parchment, though the response wasn't directed to it.

"It's okay to be nervous, Max," Birch reminded, "just don't show it. Remember what we've discussed earlier today. You've done well in the rehearsal. You can do this."

Max turned back to the advisor. "Thank you for helping me," he said.

"I vow my services to you, Max," Birch lightly bowed. "I will stand by you as I have stood by your father."

Max cringed at the mention of his dad. He wondered if Birch knew about the absence of his body and debated if he should ask. Would he admit to hiding the truth from him as everybody else did or would he be just as aghast as he was? Max stipulated the words he would use to confirm his guesses, but a sudden yelp from the crowd caught his attention. The yelp wasn't meant to be alarmed by yet it stirred another swirl of thoughts to spin through his head. Then he knew what to say.

"Can you promise me something, Birch?"

Birch blinked. "Of course!" he beamed, delighted to gain the faith of the prince. "What would you like me to promise?"

"That no matter what happens out there," Max turned to the crowd, "you will stay by my side no matter what."

Birch blinked again, confused, before nodding. "I promise."

Max sighed. "Good. Time to talk to the people."

Birch watched curiously as Max made his way toward the crowd. The prince seemed more...calm than he was earlier today, though grave might be the more appropriate word. What exactly happened to the prince that caused him to behave in such a way? Also, what did he mean by "no matter what happens?"

When the people spotted their prince march toward the railing towering over them, some hushed while some raised their voices. The diversity of their responses gave Max another dilemma to overcome. How should he start speaking? Should he call out loudly or speak gently? Then he remembered what Birch said. No matter what he was to face, whether it was the kingdom or an opposing army, the king had to remain confident and steadfast. It would hush the loud ones and formally gain the attention of the quiet ones.

"Citizens of Petalburg," Max's voice echoed through the cone positioned before his lips. "My name is Maxomilian Petalburg, the son of King Norman and Queen Caroline."

The crowd hushed more to hear what the prince was saying. Some whispered to one another to share their comments. Max interpreted curiosity, intrigue, and, to his displeasure, skepticism.

"We," Max took a quick glance at his written speech, "have faced a great tragedy yesterday. We have lost many of our fellow man as well as our princess, who became betrothed to the Vampire King to spare our kingdom from further destruction. Today we mourn for our losses. Let us kindly give them a moment of silence."

Slowly, second by second, the people did become silent. Max was grateful. Despite the fact that not everyone held the same opinions, they all had one emotion to share together: grief. It made him feel less alone. The people might not see him as their official king yet, but he knew they at least had an open mind about it—open enough to trust him.

Behind him, servants and officers patiently waited for the solemn occasion to pass. They were impressed that the prince was holding himself well considering that just a few hours ago, he threw up in front of the council members. Only Birch had an anxious frown contorting his expression with his arms crossed tightly across his chest. The prince's words rang loudly in his mind, even louder as he and everyone sensed that the silent moment was ending.

"Thank you," Max spoke out. "I would like to say that our sorrows will end from here on out but I cannot. We have received grave news, news that might bring us more tragedy. We may be attacked again."

Birch gasped as the terrified cries of the people were amplified inside the announcement tower. Max was straying from the speech he had helped him arrange. What was he doing?

"Do not be alarmed, everyone," Max requested. "We have been warned ahead of time. We can mobilize ourselves for the attack so we can prevent more tragedies."

Some of the crowd quieted, but many of them could still be heard crying out in panic and terror.

"I know that some of you may think I can't handle it."

Birch widened his eyes. This wasn't part of the script.

"I know some of you are probably looking at me as a helpless little boy that's only here because of my heritage," Max continued. "And...you're right. I didn't want to be in a position where I can't have a family because their royalty doomed them to be everyone's targets. I didn't want to be in a position to comfort and inspire a kingdom of people when I can barely cope myself. I didn't want to be standing in front of you today. I wanted to be locked in my room until everything's back to normal and I have my family again."

Much of the crowd was hushed now. Birch and the rest of the royal servants couldn't breathe.

"But I know things can never go back to normal," Max went on. "My parents are gone, and now, my sister's gone too. I want to be selfish and have everyone pity me; but now that I'm standing in front of you today, I see that despite our differences, we are all suffering the same great amount."

The crowd became louder. Birch and the other servants were silent—no longer in judgment but empathy.

"I don't want to suffer anymore. I don't want _anyone_ to suffer anymore," Max raised a clenched fist. "It's time to start standing up for ourselves—show everyone that we may have lost our loved ones, but we didn't lose our ability to fight back!"

Some of the people cheered.

"Some of you may be weak like me, but everyone can be stronger," Max stated. "If I can step up to defend us and the people we love, so can you. Who's with me?"

The crowd screamed, but no longer in fear or anger. Fists were in the air and feet were off the ground. "Long live the king!" people started to chant. "Long live the king! Long live the king! Long live the king!"

A big smile formed on Max's face as everyone cheered him on. His growing confidence grew even more so, and he raised a fist, earning him another cry of approval.

Birch blinked. The boy had done what he had least expected of him, but he wasn't complaining. Though Max's words were different from his father's, his confidence and vigor were just the same.

"Hello, old friend," Birch greeted quietly to himself. "It's good to see you again."

~.~

When Drew entered the chamber, he saw May staring expectantly at the door. Her expression was blank so he couldn't decipher her thoughts. Why wasn't she saying anything, he asked himself. Why wasn't she yelling, crying, or anything that would depict her frustration?

When the king stopped in front of the chamber, he could barely look at the princess. Her eyes bore into him, doing nothing, saying nothing. He couldn't begin to imagine what she was thinking of him nor garner his response to it. But he had to start. His actions, despite the intentions, were cruel. He knew the miseries of the fate he had given May but gave it to her out of his own selfish desires. He should at least apologize. So he opened his mouth to say something, anything, but May beat him to it.

"I heard everything you said."

Drew stiffened. "You did?"

"The curse gave me superb hearing," May told him. "I could hear everything outside like I wasn't trapped in here. It's a little overbearing."

Drew grimaced and looked down. May's voice sounded completely hollow. It was opposite of the lively voice that attracted him to her. Did he put her through so much suffering that he diminished her will to live?

"May," he trembled, "I'm so sorry. I understand if you are angry with me." He would prefer that she was angry with him too. Anger wouldn't just show that she was still alive, it would also show that she cared.

"I was angry, Drew," May admitted, "especially when you left without a word. But then I heard your explanation to Solidad and understood. You only did what you did to keep me alive...in a way. I can't stay mad at that, even if I want to."

Drew clenched his fists. He should've been relieved that she not only forgave him, but understood him, but he wasn't. In fact, he felt so much worse. May didn't sound forgiving or grateful. She sounded like she lost all hope to have a good life, and it was all his fault. He didn't deserve her understanding or forgiveness. He needed to fix the mess he made.

"I will break the curse," Drew vowed. "I will spend the rest of my life trying to find a way to free you from it. You don't deserve this horror, May. You don't."

"But you just said only love could break the curse," May reminded. "We can no longer love, and it will be hard for people to accept who we have become."

Drew grunted. "I know, but unlike me, you still have someone that will love you no matter what?"

"I do?"

"Your brother," Drew stepped forward, "the love you and your brother share is strong. He will love you no matter what happens as long as you don't push him away."

"No," May immediately shook her head. "I am more dangerous than I can control. I cannot do what I did to that servant to my brother."

Drew quietly grunted and looked down. He didn't negate her because he didn't disagree. The reasoning was exactly why he pushed his own loved ones away. But there had to be something he could do. That was when he remembered their previous situation. Mental cogs spun in his mind as realization dawned in his head.

"We need to forge a blood bond."

May blinked. "What?"

"It's a bond that forges our lives into one," Drew said. "If we perform it on each other, we will still hunger for blood but only each other's."

May inched back. "Y-You mean…I won't be tempted to hurt my brother?"

"Yes."

"...Only you?"

"...Yes."

May inched back even further. "And you would do the same to me?"

Drew stiffened, "Yes," he said, "but I assure you I will try to make the things as painless as possible."

May shifted from her seat and dazedly stared ahead. The king just told her that the blood bond would forge their lives into one. That was a heavy commitment to bear; then again, she agreed to such a commitment when she agreed to marry him. The ritual would be the same as a marriage only with it, Max and everyone else would be safe from her.

"Alright," she nodded, "let's do it."


	8. Chapter 8, The Reply

Hello, everyone! It's finally here! I've recently developed a new writing style in which my work will be simpler but more powerful, so this chapter is going to be shorter than the previous ones. I like it, but if you don't, tell me and I'll work something out.

I want to thank **Kirikizu** again for informing me how to export previous chapters. I fixed the Soledad vs. Solidad issue and decided that the queen's name is SOLIDAD. If I missed a "Soledad," please tell me so I can fix it.

Without further ado, enjoy!

* * *

Max's eyebrows furrowed as he jotted down his last thoughts on paper. His meeting with Birch and the council was starting in two minutes. He had to send his letter to May now, or she wouldn't hear from him for a long, long time.

He rolled up the parchment, sealed it with a ribbon, and ran out of his room. He had to stop waking up so late. As soon as he saw what the time was, he forgot about breakfast and grabbed the first pen and paper he saw. His body was going to punish him for it later. He had to discipline himself.

~.~

 _Dear May..._

~.~

May peered out the window of the carriage as the vehicle soared through the morning skies. Solidad suggested she and Drew leave as soon as possible to expedite May's domestication. She granted the princess a case full of clothing, wished her and Drew luck, and sent them on their way.

Solidad was a kind woman, May thought. The queen had forgiven her somewhat for attacking her servant but kept her guard up for the sake of everyone else's safety. May promised to make amends with her and her people. If they were compassionate enough to welcome the vampire king and his cursed betrothed to their kingdom, they would make great allies.

She picked up the sound of roaring water a few miles before the carriage descended. From above, she spotted a waterfall cascading onto a large boulder. When the carriage landed in front of it, May made out a wide opening hidden behind the aquatic wall.

"Here we are," Drew opened the door for their exit.

"Where are we?" May asked. She noted the thick barrier of trees surrounding their location.

"Somewhere far and where no one can find us," Drew replied. He contacted the coachmen, gave them a quiet command, and sent them away. He then turned back to May, who was eyeing him warily. "The blood bond is going to leave us weak and vulnerable for a few days."

May remained apprehensive but stiffly nodded. That was when her thoughts became hazy. Something had come over her, and someone else's thoughts were accommodating her own.

"There's a cave behind this waterfall," Drew pointed. "I know a way in that will keep us from getting wet."

May followed Drew into the passage behind the vines hanging from the boulder. There was no light in their destination, but to May's surprise, she didn't need it. There were a small table and two chairs, a bed, and a couple of bookshelves.

"Let me get the lantern," Drew walked toward the shelves. There was a lamp hidden at the side of one. Once he activated it, a soft flame illuminated the setting.

Drew waved for her to come to him, and she did so with small steps.

"The process is simple," he raised his wrist to her vision. "We have to drink each other's blood until a marking unique to us and only us is etched into our left wrists."

May stared with wide eyes. She stepped back but kept her gaze on his skin. Drew frowned and lowered it.

"Would you like to do this later?" he asked.

May shook her head. She wasn't looking him in the eye anymore but at his wrist, neck, and other places he didn't conceal. She was hungry, Drew realized. Her need to feed was taking over her.

"I'm going to need your wrist too," he mentioned.

May immediately offered one. "There," her voice was raspy, "now give it to me."

Drew extended both of his hands, one to grasp her wrist and the other for May to drink from, and hissed when May punctured his skin. He was grateful to be accustomed to greater pain. May's fangs were wiggling into his muscles.

Soon, Drew was not only detecting May's hunger but her physical and emotional pain as well. He hoped she sensed how sorry he was for putting her in this situation. She did, but her fangs only quivered for blood.

Much time passed until the bond was finally complete. Blood dripped from their mouths, and their energies merged within each other. Drew was the first to recover from the process. Fortunately so, for he was able to catch her right when she collapsed.

"May," he called, "are you alright?"

May blinked to focus on his image. When she saw her reflection in his red eyes, she did something neither of them expected. She kissed him.

Drew moaned when she grabbed his head and squeezed it. He could taste her blood as well as his own as she pulled him toward the bed.

"N...No…" he grunted.

His back hit the mattress, but May held him down before he could sit up. Her weight wasn't the only thing keeping him down, he realized. She seized control of his blood flow.

"May…"

When she pulled away, her eyes were red and cloudy. "This is what you wanted," she whispered. "Is it not?"

But she kissed him again before he could answer. Her fingers, which seemed to be just roaming, suddenly tore off his coat.

"I never wanted any of this," she hissed into his ear. "But you do. Your hands are pulling me against you."

To Drew's shock and horror, she was right. He had broken her blood hold just enough to push her against him.

"Then let's not do it," he took back his hands, "You don't deserve it."

"Tell me what you've done," a fang grazed his cheek. "Let's make this a punishment."

Drew widened his eyes right as May captured his mouth again. He tried to think of another way to stop their bizarre and twisted situation but couldn't. Never had a woman filled him with so much want. And he wanted her since the day they've met.

"I've...killed kingdoms upon kingdoms...filled with innocent mothers and children."

May yanked off his shirt, the buttons falling and bouncing on the ground below. Her nails left welts across his chest, making him hiss in pain and pleasure.

"Tell me," she grabbed his throat, "how did they react when your army invaded their lands?"

"They...screamed and begged for mercy," Drew croaked. "But I didn't listen. Neither did my men before they tore out their throats."

The front of his pants was off, exposing his tall erection. Juices leaked from the tip and trickled down his shaft.

"And how about me?" May licked her lips. "What did you do to me?"

"I took you from the only family you have left...then I turned you into a monster. Just like m—"

He screamed when May engulfed his sheath. The princess gripped his shoulders so firmly she almost cracked them.

"Ahh," she cried, "it's too big."

Nevertheless, she started to pump. Her walls contracted and pulsed as Drew stretched her narrow cavern. She was too tight, Drew thought. There wasn't enough room for him to fit.

But May seemed to enjoy the pain like she was punishing not only him but herself as well. Her honey lubricated their friction. Her breasts bounced while sweat dripped down her chin. Drew knew what they were doing was wrong, but couldn't stop his fingers from twitching to touch her. She wasn't distracted enough to free him from his hold. The second he was, he would make her think of him and only him.

When May finally climaxed, she hit her head on the wooden foot board. She started to cry, but not because it hurt.

Drew sat up from the mattress. He didn't reach his orgasm, so was sober enough to regret what they had done. But then he noticed her skin tone, and then his own. The lantern wasn't playing tricks on him. Life had flushed into their skin.

He covered himself with a blanket and watched May soak her face and arms with tears. He reached out to hold her, but had a quick thought and took it back.

"Everything," May whimpered, "is such a mess! I didn't want to do it like this. I wanted my first time to be with someone I love!"

That was when she looked down and realized the change of her skin color. When she looked at Drew's, she saw the same result. Her eyes and mouth widened and trembled. Her overwhelming emotions robbed her of her ability to speak.

"Our...activity...seemed to have triggered our primal instincts," Drew expressed. "Do you think those instincts pulled us closer to our mortality?"

"What? No!" May shrieked. "That doesn't make sense!"

But she was more overwhelmed than skeptical. If her emotions continued to torment her, she would get depressed. And Drew knew from personal experience that depression, the condition that made the host feel dead, could make one dead as well. She couldn't sink to that state. Not after the progress they just made.

"We'll figure it out when the time comes," he hushed. He started pulling May toward him, surprising her. "In the meantime, let me love you the way you deserve to be loved."

May stiffened in his touch, but when he cupped her cheek and kissed her, she started to relax. His movements were soft and gentle. His thumbs had massaged her shoulders before his palms raised goosebumps from her upper arms.

Drew encircled her waist and spun her until her head was on a pillow. His mouth never left her skin, licking and nibbling as May mewled in pleasure.

This time, when he entered her, the pace was slow and deliberate. His movements initially hurt due to their previous trial. But after a few careful entrances, the pain turned into bliss. May moaned as his thrusts started to shake the mattress. She was becoming too drunk with lust that she didn't realize she was breathing.

Her vision blurred as his seed pooled inside her. Her legs hooked his waist, and her walls squeezed. Drew hissed and plunged harder.

"Drew...Drew... _Drew_!"

After they had reached their second climax, Drew lifted his head to look at May. Her hair was tussled, her pores sparkled, and her complexion was smudged with red. He had never seen a woman so beautiful in his life. His mouth licked and nicked at her skin, unable to get enough of her.

May laid limp as Drew hovered above her. She felt him thumb her hair to the side and seal her breath with a kiss.

"Was that better?" he asked. Though her legs have released him, he remained inside her.

"Y-Yes," May answered, moaning when he smooched the crook of her neck.

She shivered when Drew retreated but was warmed again when he pulled her back against his chest. His satisfied and tired breaths tickled her shoulders. Then, after one last kiss, they both fell asleep.

~.~

 _I miss you too. And no, Davian isn't the king anymore. He ran away soon after you left. I'm the king now._

~.~

"Alright," Cornelius wrapped a parchment with a ribbon. "That's the last message. Bring these to the carriers and instruct them to deliver the letters as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir," the addressed servant bowed before leaving with the scrolls.

Max turned to the council members at the round table. "So what are we going to do now?" he asked.

"Now we're going to recruit new soldiers," Trinidad answered. "We've already sent out a notice to the villagers. As for you, Your Highness, you will have your training here in the castle."

"Training?" Max blinked. "Training for what?"

"For battle," Trinidad answered. "This, of course, among other things. Let's discuss what it is that you are going to be learning."

~.~

Harley wasn't the type to pack a suitcase. So after one fun spell, his hut rose from the ground and formed four sturdy wheels to carry it. Surrounding his now mobile shelter were his cactus demons. Some pulled his wheeled abode by the harnesses. The rest formed a protective circle that ranged almost a hundred yards in diameter.

Traveling from the swamp to the Petalburg Kingdom on such short notice was a hassle, but needed to be done. Though the land around his swamp had yet to decay, Harley knew to leave as soon as he detected Thanatos's aura. The demon of death was unpredictable. Then again, death, in general, was unpredictable. No one could say for certain when he or she would die.

The wizard had been alive for so long, he forgot what it was like to wonder. Now he didn't just fear for his life, but his cactus demons' as well. His darlings might have only gained sentience from his spells, but he still loved them like a parent loved his children. Solidad provided shallow but pleasant company from time to time, sure; but his cactus demons would never befriend the bastard-vampire-king, Drew.

Speaking of Drew, Harley grimaced, the arrogant mosquito got himself engaged. Yes, many women would throw themselves at Drew's feet, but the wizard couldn't imagine him doing the same to a mortal, no less. But why and how was that mortal breaking the vampire curse? Thanatos said that only love could break the curse, so who was loving who? Did Drew love the woman? Vice versa? Both?

Harley felt sick for many reasons. Drew's mortality was returning, but only because the leech found love with someone other than him. The sorcerer spent millennials trying to re-establish his relationship with the blackguard and failed. But a dainty princess snagged him in a day?

Fire shot out of the hut's windows, but the cactus demons outside weren't disturbed. The flames were accompanied by loud strings of profanity.

~.~

 _I'm glad you're okay. And don't blame yourself, Sis. You have to do what you have to do. Just like me._

~.~

Max had only visited the king's training arena once, and that was only out of curiosity. It was a lot smaller than he remembered. Then again, he was a lot smaller when he came by.

"Have you been here before?" Trinidad strode by his side.

"Yeah," Max nodded, "once when I was four."

"Ever held a weapon?"

Max shook his head, but he did wield a weapon once. It was more out of curiosity, but at least he gauged how heavy it was.

"Well, you're in for a treat, my king."

A couple of servants bearing a long rectangular case stopped Max and Trinidad at the edge of the arena.

"Our blacksmiths forged a sword you might like," Trinidad grinned.

Max was already excited that he was going to get his own sword, but his heart stopped when he saw what the sword looked like. The weapon was silver at the point and bottom of the fuller as well as the pommel. Smooth leather wrapped the grip, and the guard had markings that distinguished somewhat from Max's memory.

"We cannot have you wield your father's sword, but we have forged one that is similar," Trinidad gestured. "Try it."

Max took a step forward and clutched the sword's grip. He felt pride possessing the tool, but the pride vanished when his attempt to lift the weapon nearly caused him to drop it.

"Careful, Your Highness," Trinidad cautioned. "The sword is heavier than it looks."

Max felt his face flush. The sword wasn't _that_ heavy. It was just heavier than he expected. The prince cursed to himself. He needed to build muscle strength.

"But don't worry, Your Highness," Trinidad gestured to their right, "we have assigned an instructor to educate you. Captain!"

A knight emerged from a hallway on the south side of the room. She was a tall woman with black hair tied back into a ponytail, hazel eyes that were almost orange, and olive skin clothed with a fit long-sleeved shirt and tights. Max knew she was a knight from the way she carried her sword. She gripped it in her right hand and erected it until it was almost directed at him.

"This is Adeline," Trinidad introduced. "She will be your instructor."

"Your Highness," the warrior shook Max's hand with a firm grip. "It is an honor to meet you."

Max's hand had twitched before she released it. "Likewise."

"Please start training as soon as possible. The wizard and his cactus demons could arrive at any moment," Trinidad instructed. "I'll leave the prince in your care, Captain."

"Yes, sir," Adeline nodded.

Once the council member dismissed himself, Max was alone with the knight. Adeline eyed the prince expectantly, but it took Max a second to meet her gaze. She was a head taller than him. If Max were to gauge her age, she was probably nearing her thirties.

"I'm honored to train you, my king," the knight confessed.

"Not a king yet," Max shrugged. "I still need to be coronated."

"You probably will be soon, your Highness," Adeline guessed. "The kingdom is in great need of your services."

She smiled widely as she said this. It flattered Max. He had the respect of a noble knight. But then it made him nervous. Her expectations of him would make it easier to disappoint her.

"Max," Max blurted. "Just Max is fine."

"Alright, Max," Adeline granted, "as Sir Trinidad has requested, your training should begin now. Let's get you into the right attire."

She motioned Max to follow her into the hallway she had come from. The tunnel didn't stretch far when a large room walled with clothing welcomed them inside.

"This room contains equipment more suitable for training," Adeline introduced. "Pick any one you'd like, Max. I'll wait for you outside."

She exited too soon to see Max's shock. There were tops of different colors, styles, and sizes. Bottoms and shoes of all kinds were also provided. Where would he begin?

Fifteen to twenty minutes later, he emerged with his chosen outfit: a navy long-sleeved shirt, black tights, and brown boots. Adeline complimented him on his choice before commencing with their lesson. She first demonstrated how to hold a sword. For training purposes, she gave Max a wooden replica. The replica was light, much to Max's relief, for learning the grip was harder than he thought.

"Wielding a sword is a bit like wielding a spear," Adeline informed. "So be ready to thrust when you see an opening."

She then told him to keep his eyes up. A key factor to winning battles was using one's environment to his or her advantage. But then there was also keeping an eye on oneself to prevent the opponent from spotting an opening. How Max was able to do all that was beyond him. He was still trying to hold the sword right.

Only half an hour later (seconds to Max), Adeline challenged him to a spar. Max was almost frozen at the spot. The knight might also be wielding a wooden sword, but her movements were too fast, and her strikes were too hard. She assured him she was going easy on him, but that just made Max feel worse.

Soon, and inevitably, Max received his first of many accidental hits from his teacher. Adeline did try to guide him as they went along, but his senses weren't able to keep up.

"Watch my eyes."

"Keep an eye out for my strikes."

"Don't leave yourself open!"

"Focus!"

And when Max hit the ground for the tenth time that day, only one thought crossed his mind: becoming a king was difficult. He had a new kind of respect for his father, who worked this hard, if not harder, only to be undone without justice.

"Max?" Adeline helped him stand up. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Max picked up his sword, remembering to draw it first. "Let's go again."

It didn't matter how difficult things were anymore, he thought as he struck and blocked his opponent. If facing them brought him closer to the truth, he would face them all.

~.~

When May woke from her slumber, her back was cold. She searched for her missing warmth, but he was nowhere to be found. Drew's clothes were piled beside a bookshelf, and his suitcase was open. He must've taken a bath, May concluded. She dismounted the bed deciding to do the same. A shower sounded welcoming for her sticky body.

Once May was done bathing, she replaced her torn dress with a light peach gown. She exited the cave expecting Drew to be out there. He wasn't. May frowned. How long had she been asleep? The skies were getting so dark, she could see stars. Wait a minute, she blanked. She slept? But vampires couldn't sleep! What was happening?

She ran to the lake and searched for her reflection. Her skin was pale, but her eyes were blue. When she lifted her left wrist, there was a marking where her veins met. Based on its geometry and lining swirling to the center, it resembled a rose.

Then she detected movement from behind her. When she turned around, she saw a line thrusting toward the sky. May watched in awe. Was it trying to fly?

But then the line straightened, as if stunned, and plummeted toward the ground. May gasped and ran to its direction. She didn't have to venture far when she found what she was looking for.

Up close, the line looked like a dragon. Its long body was white with green fur streaking the top of its back. Its square-ish head had a long muzzle, short pointy ears, and small eyes shut in pain. May had never seen a dragon before, presuming they were only myths in stories her mother used to tell her as a child. They were real, she knew that now. She just didn't know why this one looked familiar.

"Drew?" she stepped forward. "Is that...you?"

The dragon opened its eyes, revealing green irises she immediately recognized. Then, it started to disintegrate. What remained was Drew's injured form.

"Drew!" May scooped him into her arms. "Are you alright?"

He wasn't recovering like she expected him to. Why wasn't his vampiric trait healing him? Shouldn't he be up and about by now? It was almost like he was...human.

May raised her wrist. Then, after a sharp breath, elevated it to Drew's lips. "Drink."

She knew he heard her, yet he didn't move.

"You have to; both you and I know that," May insisted. "Drink."

She flinched when he finally did so. He drank longer than she anticipated. She was losing so much blood, she started to become lightheaded.

When Drew finally finished, he licked her leftover blood off his lips. He then did the same with her wrist, his tongue lapping her as if in remorse. "Thank you," he said.

"You're...welcome," May murmured. She had to blink a few times to see him clearly. He was pale again, she noticed. His eyes were red again too.

"I'll hunt for food to eat tonight," Drew grimaced. Knowing her weakness was due to him made him feel bad enough. Seeing her revert to her red-eyed vampire form made him feel worse. "But let's get you back to the cave first."

May yelped when he swept her into his arms. She gripped his shoulder tightly as he sped them back to their retreat. He was a vampire again, May thought, but that wasn't all he was. Once she regained the energy to speak, he had a lot to answer for.

~.~

Max panted for breath when his practice match with Adeline finally ended. Servants came in with cups and jugs of water, and he quickly helped himself in.

"That will be enough training for today," Adeline poured herself a cup. "You did well, Max."

"Did I really?" Max inquired.

"Of course," Adeline nodded. "Don't expect to be perfect on the first day, Max. People train for years before mastering the sword."

"But I only have one week," Max groaned. "I need a miracle."

"Don't worry; I will fight by your side," Adeline assured. "You won't be alone in this battle, Max. I promise."

Max simpered. Adeline's assurances reminded him of his sister. He and May had argued more times than not, but he knew May would do anything to support and protect him. How unfortunate it was to have that determination take her away from him. Like with his father, he wasn't going to let her sacrifice go in vain either.

He was about to tell Adeline his response when Trinidad re-entered the arena. It was dinner time, the elder announced, and then a meeting with the council.

"Wanna have dinner with us?" Max offered his coach.

"Oh no," Adeline shook her head. "I wouldn't want to impose."

Max wondered why she was suddenly so bashful. Then he realized he had just asked her to have dinner with the king.

"You won't," he assured. "Come on."

Adeline nodded and followed them to the dining hall. That was when Max also realized she couldn't refuse the king's orders. He wasn't an official king yet, he wanted to say, but kept it to himself. It was foolish of him to try to replace his family with people he had just met. But could anyone blame him? He was the only Petalburg left in the kingdom.

But he would protect them all like they were family anyway, Max vowed. After all, it was the king's job to love and protect his people. Formalities would be discarded once he was sure everyone was safe.

~.~

Drew hunted as promised and returned with a moose he and May drank from before roasting its meat. The only comfort May had was that Drew knocked it unconscious first. She then decided that once the curse was lifted, she would stop eating meat. Just the sight of it made her sick.

After their meal, Drew invited her to watch the waterfall with him. She was confused at first as to why he seated her between his legs but then remembered his earlier promise. Love was the only way to make them mortal again, so they were going to pretend until the love was real. Speaking of mortals…

"Drew?"

"Yes?"

"Were you born a dragon?"

Drew stiffened at the question. Then he eventually relaxed and pulled her closer to him. "Yes."

"So you were never human?" May returned his hold.

"My species can transform into human forms," Drew explained. "Think of us as an evolved version of our kind. Humans are one of the most adaptable living creatures to exist. My people knew we had to be just as adaptable to survive, so our ancestors cast a transformation spell that can be inherited from generation to generation."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"Not to be rude, but," May looked up, "how...long have you been alive?"

Drew chuckled, making her blush with his vibrating tenor. "I lost count a long time ago. Let's just say I'm older than Solidad."

May inched back, "You're older than the Fairy Queen?"

"Older than the ones before her too."

May slackened trying to process his answers.

"What's the matter?" Drew taunted. "Ashamed to be with an old man?"

If May were still a mortal, her face would've reddened in embarrassment. Tonight, it just looked mortified.

"Don't worry," he licked her neck. "This geezer has more in his arsenal than a young man ever will."

May moaned as his hands caressed her hips. His perversion was just as inappropriate as it was when they met, but for some reason, she wasn't as bothered by it. She could say it was because she was a vampire now, but she knew she was feeling too much for that to be true. What was the reason then?

She would find out later. It was hard to think with Drew slipping her gown off.

After another passionate lovemaking session, this one better than the last, Drew and May laid entwined together on the bed. Drew had his arm around her torso while May had hers around his waist.

"Lusting for you used to strengthen my vampiric side," Drew told her. "Now it weakens it. I wonder why."

"I don't know," May responded. "I also don't know how we sleep. I thought vampires couldn't sleep, but here I am getting sleepy."

Drew widened his eyes, realizing his own drowsiness. "You're right."

"But I don't want to worry about it anymore," May confessed tiredly. "All we've ever done was worry. Our lives are hard enough as it is. Why are we making it worse by making ourselves anxious?"

Drew smiled. "You're right," he kissed her forehead. "Let's pretend nothing is wrong for a moment and savor this. A second of peace won't ruin our lives."

May pressed a kiss on his lips, which he reciprocated.

"No," she agreed, "it wouldn't."

~.~

When Solidad emerged from her bedroom the next morning, her messenger presented two letters. One was to be forwarded to May; the other was for her. She wasted no time reading hers, which was wrapped in a red ribbon. Her kingdom had agreed with the rest that they would only use red for urgent messages.

And urgent it was. Her letter was written by the council and the king-to-be of Petalburg, and what they shared was graver than she expected.

"Forward this to May, Delia," she instructed her messenger. "And tell Drew to meet me in the castle as soon as possible. Under no circumstances will he go anywhere else unless we arrange it."

~.~

Breakfast put a damper on May's mood since it involved trading her blood for Drew's. She was almost comforted by her lover's kiss, but then she detected something headed toward their location. Drew sensed it soon after, and they shared a worried look before exiting their abode.

Descending to the waterfall's left was a female fairy dressed in reflective clothing. If May didn't possess her vampiric eyes, she would've missed the person blending in with the morning sky.

"Greetings, King Andrew. Princess Maybelline," the fairy landed before them. "My name is Delia. I'm Queen Solidad's messenger."

Drew frowned and stepped forward. "Why did she send you here?"

"I have a letter for the princess written by the prince of Petalburg," Delia handed May a scroll.

"Thank you," May eagerly accepted. She untied the scroll and read the content.

"And Queen Solidad requests for your immediate attendance, Your Highness," she addressed Drew. "It is of great urgency."

"Why?" Drew demanded. "We had specifically agreed that May and I be gone for a week."

"She didn't say, sir," Delia replied. "I was just instructed to tell you to return immediately."

"Tell her to wait," Drew ordered. "I'm not going anywhere until the week is over."

"Oh no."

Drew turned to May, who had a hand covering her gaping mouth.

"What's wrong?" he sped to her side. "Is it the letter?"

May gripped his arm and leaned on his shoulder. "Petalburg is going to be attacked," she said.

"What? By who?"

"A wizard named Harley and his cactus demons."

May felt him tense under her touch. When she looked up, Drew's eyes were wide and unblinking.

"Drew?" she called. "What is it? Do you know him?"

"I do need to go back to Solidad's kingdom," he stepped away, ignoring her question. "But I'll be back soon."

"W-Wait," May reached out, "can't I come with you?"

"No," Drew shook his head. "I have to do this alone."

"But my kin—"

"I'll take care of your kingdom," Drew assured, taking her hands in his. "I won't let anything happen to it."

May's eyes softened. There was no point arguing with him, not that she wanted to. She had never seen him look so grave. But if he said he would take care of her kingdom in that mood, she had to trust that he was serious about that too. "Promise?"

Drew pulled her by the waist and into a deep kiss. It confused her, but she kissed him back. "Promise," he muttered.

May's hand lingered in the air for a moment as Drew marched toward Delia. The fairy bid her goodbye before giving Drew a firm nod.

"I'll be back soon," Drew waved at May.

"I'll be waiting," May waved back.

And with that, Delia and Drew took off into the sky.


	9. Chapter 9, The Vampire's Stake

Hello, everyone! Another chapter has arrived! Only one person reviewed the last chapter (thank you, **Tropicallight** , for your constant support). Did you guys not like the last one? I hope not. If so, please tell me so I can make improvements. If you did like the last chapter and this one as well, may I know? I don't need it, but it encourages me.

Enjoy!

* * *

 _Drew hopped over another large tree root before skipping over a line of stones. The forest was much bigger than his eight-year-old body, which made it more intriguing for the young prince to explore it. The castle only had order and discipline his mother tried to force on him. If he had to sneak off to find magic and adventure, so be it._

 _The little boy hiked past creeks and burrows, listening to the sounds of birds cawing in the air and squirrels trampling over leaves and twigs. The deeper Drew traveled, the more diverse the noises became. Not only did he pick up deep cries and roars of larger creatures, but he also attuned to the trees and bushes rustling in the wind. He had never felt more distant from his noble, civilized life. The forest was wild and alive, and it had room for one more beast._

 _That was when Drew heard something peculiar. When he searched for the source, he came to a large area filled with sand and cacti. Most of the spiky green encircled the center of the space, where the mysterious noise was the loudest._

 _Drew walked onto the sand to take a closer look. He made sure to avoid the thorns of the cacti as he squeezed through them. What he spotted took him by surprise. The noises didn't come from an animal like he had expected. They were coming from a small, purple-haired baby._

 _~.~_

The guards of the Fairy Kingdom spotted two figures flying toward their nation. Upon closer inspection, they recognized Drew and Delia.

"Tell Queen Solidad that the Vampire King has arrived," one of them said. The person he addressed bowed before descending the guard tower.

Drew wanted to fly straight to Solidad's castle, but Fairy Kingdom customs required him to go through their grand entrance. The land was surrounded by a river that melted anything that fell into it. The only way inside was a grand drawbridge, which was slowly lowering itself until Drew and Delia were able to pass.

The trip to Solidad's castle finished quickly with Drew's speed. The king had hoped that his business with Solidad would finish soon. Not just because he wanted to get back to May, but also because he wanted to take care of the _problem_ threatening May's kingdom.

"Drew!" Solidad greeted when the king entered the castle. "I'm glad you can make it on such short notice."

"Let's talk in private," Drew grunted. "You know this isn't something we can talk about in public."

Solidad gave him a bemused smile. "No. No, it isn't."

~.~

May had to hold down her skirt at the speed Drew took off with. The man was an all-powerful vampire; there was no reason to expect any less from him. Then again, wasn't she supposedly more powerful than him? If Drew was able to do all these things, then what was _she_ capable of?

She paused and shook her head. She shouldn't be thinking about those things. Being a vampire was a curse, not an opportunity. She should be focused on getting rid of the evil, not taking advantage of it.

The princess clenched her fists and turned toward the woods. Perhaps a morning walk would clear her head.

The woods was significantly better when there was light, May thought as she ambled through the greenery. She shook that off before the rough skin of the wendigo registered in her mind. But then she remembered something she shouldn't have forgotten. Misty, Ash's wife. May had Drew to help her survive Pallet's plague. What about Misty? What had happened to her? Did she manage to leave the town in time?

May's head was spinning when she detected a presence on her right. There, beside a large boulder, was a tall man with long blonde hair. May had never seen him before but knew exactly who he was.

"Thanatos," she spoke aloud.

The man sneered and placed his hands on his hips. "May," he returned. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"You killed everyone in Pallet and cursed Drew and his kingdom," May clenched her fists. "I _don't_ want to meet you."

"It's just business, May," Thanatos shrugged. "If you come and work with me, I'll glady catch you up."

"No," May hissed. How dare the demon brush his actions off like they were simple matters. "Drew told me everything. I'm not going to let you control me."

" _Drew_ told you?" Thanatos smirked. "And how reliable do you find his words to be?"

May's eyes narrowed.

"I don't know if Drew told you, but I'm his manager," Thanatos informed. "I've been around longer than he has, know more than he knows. When it comes to life and death, _I'm_ the one to speak with."

"I don't want to talk to you," May spat. "You'll fill my head with lies!"

"And Drew hasn't?"

"Stop antagonizing him! You're the one that cursed him!"

"So judgmental," Thanatos clicked his tongue. "It offends me, May. We've only just met."

"You don't deserve kindness," May gritted her teeth. "You've brought nothing but pain and suffering!"

"Of, if I had a coin every time I've heard something like that," Thanatos chuckled. "But I won't hold it against you. It's normal to be hostile in the face of confusion. That's why I'm offering you information in exchange for my alliance. You'll find it in your favor to have me as an ally."

"You mean like Drew?"

The blonde's face scrunched for a second before returning to its unmarred elegance. "Drew isn't as reliable as you make him up to be," he said. "You've only known him for a short time, May. Don't allow him to skew your judgment because he has bedded you."

May gasped, her cheeks flaming red. "H-How...y-you…"

"I can feel your every emotion, May," Thanatos pointed. "Drew's as well. I know about the relationship you two are trying to develop. I also know your plans to use it to break the curse."

May gritted her teeth.

"That's why I'm here," Thanatos said with arms wide open. "I don't want to harm you, May; I came to assist you. Don't think I'm not aware of your helplessness and confusion, how overwhelmed you are with losing and gaining everything at once."

May's lips quivered.

"Why don't I give you a demonstration of my services?" Thanatos proposed. "Like teaching you how to kill a vampire."

"It's not possible," May remarked. "Vampires can't die."

"Of course, they can die, May. Anything that roams in this earth has something to eliminate them," Thanatos corrected. "Killing a vampire is just...a little more complicated than killing a mere mortal. Look deep into your memories, May. I know you've heard some myths."

May took a breath and thought. She wouldn't know if the demon was telling the truth or not, but false information was better than no information. "I've heard that...wooden stakes to the heart can kill a vampire," she said.

"Do you believe that?" Thanatos inquired.

"I don't know."

"Then let me give you your first lesson."

Thanatos bent to pinch a rose between his fingers. Then, when the flower wilted, tossed it onto the ground. "You're half right," he told the princess. "Wooden stakes _can_ kill vampires, but not for the reason you might think. It isn't the sharp wood that kills a vampire; it's what it absorbed."

May bit her lip. "And what is that?"

"The blood of what the vampire loves most."

May staggered back, glaring at the demon's sneer. "But how is that possible?" she asked. "Vampires can't love."

"People aren't born vampires, May," Thanatos reminded her. "They were all mortals once, and mortals love."

May stepped further back.

"I know what you're thinking," Thanatos pointed. "Most of the ones you loved as a mortal are still alive. If anybody wants to stop you, they just need to stab your brother and then stab you with the same weapon."

May's hands balled and shook.

"And that Drew has nothing to worry about because the ones he loved as a mortal are gone," Thanatos continued. "Yes, the people of his kingdom love each other, but they're not as powerful as Drew. Drew can just curse another kingdom to do his bidding. And without his loved one's blood to kill him, he's practically unstoppable."

May tried not to show it but didn't have to. Thanatos knew she was terrified. He didn't need to see her body tremble in fear to know it.

"D-Drew isn't the enemy here," May stammered. " _You_ are!"

"Oh, if I can also count many times I've heard that," Thanatos chuckled fondly. "Regardless, I'm not sharing this information for your benefit alone. I believe you have the potential to put it to good use. Starting with Drew."

"You've already cursed Drew," May pointed out. "Why would you want to hurt him more?"

Thanatos huffed. "Let's just say you're not the only one he has wronged."

May froze. She didn't want to inquire at the risk that he would manipulate her. Then again, he wasn't wrong about her knowing Drew for only a short time.

"Returning to my previous point, Drew, like other vampires, has a stake," Thanatos continued. "Someone he loved before he turned into a vampire."

"How is that possible?" May asked. "Drew has been a vampire for so long; whomever he loved can't still be alive today."

"You'll be surprised, May," Thanatos chuckled. "After all, you just came into a world so complex, humans call it 'supernatural'. If I were you, I would embrace your vampiric side. There's so much it has to offer that you can never have as a mortal."

He swept his cape and smirked at May's befuddled expression. He vanished soon after, but the princess wasn't fooled. The demon of death was like death itself. Invisible, but clinging to her like a shadow she couldn't escape.

~.~

" _What are you doing out here?" Drew asked._

 _His voice seemed to have reached the crying infant's ears, for the baby lowered his volume to acknowledge him. Then, to Drew's surprise, the cacti surrounding them opened a path for him to cross._

" _Woah," Drew blinked. Then he bent down and carried the baby into his arms. "Are you controlling these plants?"_

 _The baby smiled. Not because of the older child's words, but because someone was acknowledging him at all. The young prince didn't know it, but the purple-haired boy had been alone for quite some time._

 _Drew surveyed the sandy terrain. The area was out of place in a tropical forest. He had ventured the woods many times but hadn't stumbled upon the makeshift desert until today. What a peculiar place to find a baby, he thought._

" _Where are your parents?" Drew asked. Then, after a thought, added, "Do you even_ have _parents?"_

 _The baby swiped at his bangs and gurgled when the fringes swayed and returned in place. Drew chuckled amusedly before moving the infant closer to his hair._

" _Let's bring you back to the castle," he proposed. "I bet you're hungry."_

 _~.~_

The tearoom of the Fairy Queen was a large chamber with crystal walls and floors laced with gold. It was one of the most beautiful rooms in her castle, perhaps in her kingdom. Many things happen in the queen's favorite retreat, so her servants were keen on maintaining its spotless beauty.

Solidad didn't restrain her grin when she and Drew entered the tearoom. Though their meeting was arranged with great urgency, she wasn't distracted enough to ignore Drew's appearance. He was clearly conflicted by the reason he was called to return to the castle. Strangely enough, he also looked peaceful, like something had finally loosened his stiff demeanor.

"I'm glad you could make it," Solidad gestured the Vampire King to the seat adjacent to her large one. "You're looking well."

"I'm not here to make small talk, Solidad," Drew remained standing. "If Harley is making his way to May's kingdom, then I should be there, not here."

"And what do you plan to do when you see him?"

"If you let me leave, I'll show you."

Solidad pointed an expectant finger. " _That's_ why I wanted you to come here first," she said. "I don't care what history you and Harley have, but I'm not going to let you hurt him."

"Where do you draw the line, Solidad?" Drew seethed. "It's bad enough that you associate yourself with him. Now you're going to let him get away with taking over a kingdom?"

"I'm not going to let him hurt May's kingdom," Solidad stated. "I'm just not going to let you hurt him either."

Drew clenched his fists.

"If he really is on his way to the Petalburg Kingdom, then the logical sense is to stop him before he gets there," Solidad continued. "But Petalburg Kingdom is far from his swamp. If he just wanted to rule a nation, don't you think he'd pick one that's closer to his home?"

"Thanatos is breaking the seal on his prison, and Harley is close to that prison," Drew reminded. "Harley obviously wants to get as far away from him as he can."

Solidad smiled, confusing him. "So he's a desperate man that just wants to survive," she said. "Wouldn't the smarter solution then be to give him the salvation he's trying to get?"

Drew's eyes narrowed. "How do you plan on doing that?"

"His cactus demons _love_ darkness, and your kingdom is filled with it," Solidad pointed. "How great of a deed would it be if you offered your home to him?"

Drew staggered back, his eyes widening with disbelief.

"Dre—"

"No!" Drew seethed. "Absolutely not! Are you out of your _mind_?"

"Dr—"

"The answer is no!" Drew repeated. "You're the only one that cares about him. _You_ give out your kingdom to him!"

Solidad frowned. "Drew, you can't possibly mean that."

"Every word of it," the king affirmed, his tone laced in bitterness. "And because you've obviously chosen his side, I'm going to do things on my own terms."

Solidad stood as Drew marched toward the door. "Drew!"

Before Drew could shove the exit open, the queen fluttered and stood between him and the door.

"Get out of my way, Solidad," the king ordered.

"No, Drew," Solidad shook her head. "I'm sorry. Let's go back to the table and re-negotiate a plan."

Drew crossed his arms. "And if you don't like my propositions?"

"We can't know that unless I hear them," Solidad took his hand and tugged him back to their refreshments. "Now come, Drew. I'll give you a chance if you give me one."

Drew frowned but allowed her to sit him on the chair beside hers. Despite how mature and almost motherly the Fairy Queen was, he still saw her as a little girl. He couldn't say no to her now like he couldn't back when he first met her as a child. He lived too long to know that life was fleeting. Every second counted, and he would spend Solidad's wisely while she was still here.

 _~.~_

 _When the king and queen entered the royal dining room, they were presented with a peculiar sight. Their green-haired son was sitting next to an infant in a high chair. As instructed by the young prince, the chefs and servants prepared him and their guest a lunch fit for a party of four. Drew didn't have a big appetite, but his young friend definitely did._

" _Son?" the king, Damon Hendercort, approached the left end of the long table. "Whose baby is that?"_

" _I don't know," Drew answered before feeding the child another spoonful of mush. "I found him in the woods."_

 _When his mother, Aldris Hendercort, demanded a proper explanation, Drew cringed and gave a more elaborate answer. Every detail impacted his parents' minds. One with curiosity and the other with fear._

" _Get rid of it, Andrew!" the queen ordered. "It's a child of the demons!"_

" _Come now, honey," the king chided. "It's just a baby. Based on Andrew's explanation, it could be the offspring of an enchanter."_

" _That doesn't make it any less dangerous!" Aldris remarked. "If that baby were to really practice magic, then who knows what kind of chaos it would bring to our castle?"_

 _Damon frowned and turned to Drew. The young boy wasn't feeding his friend anymore. He was gazing into his father's eyes, almost in pleading._

" _We'll send word to the orphanage," Damon announced. He didn't miss Drew's gasp and automatic hold of his friend. "But," he added, "until the baby's parents are located, why doesn't the baby stay here? He and Andrew seemed to be getting along."_

 _Drew immediately beamed but sobered when his mother interjected._

" _Absolutely not!" Aldris refused. "We don't know what this baby can do!"_

" _We'll consult someone educated with wizardry," Damon resolved. "Until then, realize the good of having the child here. When was the last time our son displayed responsibility like this?"_

 _The couple turned to Drew, who had continued feeding the child. The prince bent to pick up something the baby dropped, and the purple-haired boy took the opportunity to swipe his hair. Drew gave the kid a soft poke, and the child gurgled in amusement._

" _Fine," Aldris conceded. She approached the children and crossed her arms. "But don't get too attached to him, Andrew. The second we find this child's parents, he's going back to where he came from."_

 _Drew frowned and turned to the child. The baby's blue eyes glinted in adoration. His hand purposely missed the table to tap the prince's hand._

" _Okay," Drew managed to answer._

" _Would you like to name the child, Son?" Damon proposed. "It's a bit impersonal to just call him a baby."_

 _Drew's spirits immediately lifted. He clutched the baby's hand between his thumb and finger and closed his eyes. What a peculiar place to find his new friend, he remembered the vanishing desert; he would never forget it._

" _Harley," the prince declared. "I want to call him 'Harley'."_

 _~.~_

Harley was drinking his cup of tea when the carriage hit a bump on the road. The resulting jolt spilled his beverage onto his left hand, burning him.

"Damn it," he cursed.

He was about to cast a drying spell when a red light caught his eye. He proceeded with the drying spell before taking the light's source between his fingers. A beam of sunlight hit the ruby stone of his ring, which had belonged to another person he wanted to forget. The wizard clenched the jewelry in his palm and seethed.

"Mother…"

 _~.~_

 _Drew reluctantly extended Harley to Rezin, the specialists his parents hired, so that the older man could examine the infant. But Harley wasn't as brave. As soon as Drew moved the child away from him, the baby clawed to pull himself back against the prince's shoulder._

" _He is born of magical descent, alright," Rezin confirmed. He gave Harley a gentle poke on the arm. "His skin is...soft, as one can say, and not just because he is a baby. All magic practitioners are born with such a skin type to channel their energy through their bodies."_

 _Harley let out a cry of protest, prompting Drew to tuck the baby back to him._

" _How much danger can he pose to us?" Aldris asked._

" _None," the specialist assured. "This baby is much too young to properly store and release magic. He won't be able to cast his first spell until he is 11."_

 _Aldris was a bit relieved by that, but not much so. However, her husband was and took her hand._

" _That's excellent news," Damon said. "We can safely watch over him until his parents claim him."_

 _Rezin narrowed his eyes. "His parents?"_

 _When Drew explained the story of how he met and took in Harley, the specialist's eyes widened before narrowing again._

" _If that is the case, then I am positive this child's parents won't come back for him," he inferred._

 _The royal family froze._

" _What do you mean?" young Drew asked._

" _That enchantment was cast by someone that wanted to protect the baby until someone the child chooses claims him," Rezin explained. "If the parents were to come back for their child, then the prince wouldn't have been able to pass the cacti."_

" _Are you saying this baby's parents have abandoned him?" Damon asked._

" _Yes."_

 _Everyone turned to the infant, who Drew was now trying to hide under his chin. Fear was in the prince's emerald eyes, for he knew what would happen next._

" _Then that settles it," Aldris crossed her arms. "That baby is going to the orphanage."_

 _Drew gasped. "No!"_

" _Don't answer back to me, young man!" Aldris chided. "That child isn't our responsibility and isn't yours either! How can you take care of him if you can't even fulfill your duties as heir to the throne?"_

" _I'll work extra hard," Drew promised. "I'll show up to the lessons on time, even earlier!"_

" _That's not good enough," Aldris dismissed. "Caring for a child is a responsibility most adults can't handle, much less another child. This baby will only be a distraction, and I will_ not _allow our kingdom to suffer because of your incompetence."_

 _Drew staggered back. "D-Dad," he turned to Damon, "please. Don't let Mom give him away."_

" _I'm sorry, Son," Damon bowed his head. "but your mother has a point. Raising a child is a large responsibility alone. So is being heir to the kingdom."_

 _Drew grunted and clutched Harley to his chest. "Fine," he stomped, "then I choose Harley."_

" _Andrew!" Aldris scolded. But the young prince was already running away with the child. He dashed passed the guards, prompting the sentinels to enter the room for a command._

" _Find him," the queen ordered. "He couldn't have gotten far."_

 _But Drew was small and more clever than they anticipated. Harley was miraculously quiet the whole time, silenced by the excitement he detected from his guardian. Through the crack in the castle garden's wall, the children escaped into the woods._

~.~

May exited the cave the second she detected Drew. Her vampiric side strengthened the hungrier she became, but the only blood she craved was Drew's. Drew seemed to have felt similarly, for the second he landed, he took May into his arms and bit into her shoulders. May yanked him closer and did the same.

With his fangs still deep into her skin, Drew raised her skirt and traced her thighs with his fingertips. May moaned when he tugged down her underwear and screamed when a finger entered her. She clutched his shoulders as his thumb stroked her bud, whimpering his name and screaming when a second finger stretched her.

" _Drew_ ," May clawed down his pants. " _Get inside me_."

Her scream pierced the air when the king slipped inside. She hooked her legs around his waist and thrust upward, pushing her lover deeper into her crevice. Her reddened pupils rolled to the back of her head as Drew pounded her into the ground. Her nails scraped his back, adding more to the marks already on the Drew's skin.

" _May_ ," Drew grunted, panting into her ear and drenching her hair with sweat. May yelped when he hit a certain spot inside her. He hissed and adjusted himself until all he could hear was her moans.

May was momentarily blinded by the orgasm that shook her body. But Drew continued to thrust, so she held onto until his warm seed filled her. She waited for him to give her the finishing pumps. But to her surprise, he hung on and kissed her neck, staining her skin with a mixture of blood, saliva, and sweat.

"May," she heard him whisper between kisses, "May, May, _May_."

May let out a small cry of pleasure when he gently bit her. " _Drew_."

Drew gave her a chaste kiss on the lips before looking her in the eye. He didn't say anything for a while, only stared. May brushed a hair strand off from his jaw and watched his pupils turn from red to green.

"I'm glad you made it back safely," she whispered.

Her soft confession seemed to have snapped Drew from his reverie. He bent to kiss her again, and May kissed him back despite the taste of blood.

"I'm glad you're safe too," Drew returned, wiping the string of saliva from the corner of her lips. He then lifted her from the ground. May squeaked and blushed as he started making their way back into the cave.

As May's mortal side started to come back, so did memories of her encounter with Thanatos. She lifted her gaze to Drew, who was looking ahead in thought. When he noticed her staring at him, he smiled and kissed her temple. May bit back a grin before leaning on his shoulder. She might not know a lot about Drew, just as the demon had said. But there was one thing she did know for sure: Drew was very affectionate.

When Drew sat them down on the bed, May contemplated what to say. Should she tell Drew about Thanatos? The demon of death didn't have kind words for her vampire lover, and there wasn't much she could say to disagree with him. Drew was the Vampire King, after all. May didn't know him personally, but she was aware of his horrific acts and terrors that ranged for centuries. Thanatos had a point when he said not to trust Drew so easily. Then again, this was the demon that cursed her, Drew, and Drew's kingdom and wiped the life out of Pallet. Thanatos shouldn't be trusted easily either.

"May."

May looked up. Drew's gaze was soft but also glossy. Confused, she took his hand and placed it on her lap. "What is it?"

"I've been thinking," Drew began slowly. "The only reason we're together is because of the deal we've made: I spare your kingdom in exchange for your hand in marriage."

May's hold loosened. Drew quickly noticed this and squeezed her fingers.

"I don't want you to think that I don't care about you because I do. I do care about you, May," Drew assured. He watched May's eyes widen and then felt her return his grip. "I just don't want that to be the reason you marry me anymore. I will continue to spare your kingdom and work with you to break our curse. But I won't marry you unless you want me to."

May's mouth hung open. "D-Do you...still want to marry me?"

"If I were to be completely honest, I do," Drew confessed. "I know it sounds crazy due to the circumstances in our short acquaintance. But I genuinely care about you, May. A lot. I don't know what's going to happen in the future, but no matter what happens, I want you to be there with me."

May was speechless once again. The reminder of her deal with Drew reminded her of her kingdom's circumstances. Did Drew fulfill his promise? Are her brother, Roger, and everyone else she knew and loved safe? She wanted the answers but also knew that the timing wasn't right. The issue Drew was addressing was crucial as well. Politically speaking, marrying him would merge their kingdoms and ensure her land the safety it had lost to her half-uncle. But what did her mind and heart think? Marriage was a personal choice again. What was her answer? Did she even have one yet?

"I…"

Drew leaned intently.

"I don't...have the answers," May replied. "So much is happening at once."

Drew nodded with understanding but did so rigidly and with a lowering gaze.

"But I care about you too."

The king's head cocked.

"I don't know what's going to happen in the future either," May continued, "but the future isn't here yet. Let's focus on the present, on this _moment_ , just like yesterday. Because what I know right now is that I like you and...I'd like to get to know you better."

Drew's eyes filled with light. "Really?"

"We've been through a lot, but there's so much I don't know about you," May told him. "And frankly, it wouldn't be fair for you to make a decision if you don't know me either."

Drew smiled and stroked her hand with a thumb. "That sounds fair," he said. His smile almost faded away when he looked down, "But you might not like what you see in me. If you've known the terrible things I've done…"

May nodded and placed a hand over his. "As long...as we're honest with each other...I think we can work things out."

Drew gaped. "Do you really mean that?"

"Yeah," May nodded. "We have to. The dirty deeds and secrets aren't going to stay in the past. If we do get married, we have to know how to deal with these things."

Drew couldn't help but grin. Not only because he felt like he and May were a team but also because May could picture them being one in the future. It wasn't the yes he wanted, but it was a possibility. He raised a hand to his chest. His heart had never beat so hard since...since…

"By the way…"

Drew returned his attention to May.

"What happened to my kingdom?" she asked. "Is it safe from that wizard?"

Drew's hand stiffened between hers, and she felt panic rush across her system.

"It will be," Drew assured. "I will confront...the wizard tomorrow."

May scooted closer to him. "Really?"

"Yes."

Drew tensed when she threw her arms around him. "Oh thank you, Drew," he heard May sigh into his ear. "I can't thank you enough for this."

Drew's arms encircled her waist and pulled her closer. Not just for her assurance. The vampire king didn't want to admit it, but for his own as well.


	10. Chapter 10, The Vampire's Brother

Hey, everyone! Thank you so much to those who have shared their heartfelt comments in the reviews. I was worried that my story was losing its luster, so reading your kind words really gave me the boost I needed to keep going. Again, thank you very much for your support! This chapter's for you.

Chapter's Songs for Inspiration:  
"Promise" by Thomas Bergersen  
"Remember Me" by Thomas Bergersen  
"Merchant Prince" by Thomas Bergersen  
"Gift of Life" by Thomas Bergersen  
"Aura" by Thomas Bergersen  
"Ocean Wide" by The Afters

* * *

When May woke up the next morning, Drew had already been awake before her. He held her tightly to his chest, leaning his chin on her head and staring at the waterfall in front of them. May shifted under him. Drew was deep in thought. So deep, it took him a while until he met her curious gaze. He smiled and kissed her lips. Then her cheek, and then her neck.

May waited for him to nourish himself with her blood, but he didn't. His lips stayed above her skin, nipping and licking the surface and occasionally pausing to lay still. Before May could finally ask him what was wrong, Drew's hands made it up to her breasts before stroking her hips.

She moaned when he caught a naked nipple between his teeth. The king made sure to give each breast equal attention before licking his way to her thighs. May crossed her legs. Both she and Drew were still naked from their session the night before. Though they have already done so much, she still couldn't help but feel modest being exposed to him like that. But Drew was far less reluctant. He parted her legs, lowered his head, and then licked her folds.

May gasped at the sensation and then screamed when Drew's tongue entered her. His mouth expertly stimulated every part of her region, his thumbs coming in to play with her pulsing bud. May groaned as shivers racked her body. Her hips rose from the mattress, only to have Drew hold them down and roughen his ministrations. She tangled his hair into her fingers. Then, after Drew sucked sharply at her clit, May screamed as orgasm pulsed through her body.

Drew lifted himself to her face and kissed her with hungry desire. May encircled his neck, tasting what she assumed was her essence on his lips. She then lowered a hand to his member, where her finger stroked his tip before going up and down his shaft. Drew groaned into her mouth and bucked into her pumping fingers. Then, before he could climax, he yanked May's hand off and thrust into her core.

May moaned as Drew pistoned her to the mattress. She held onto his shoulders to steady herself, but it was hard to do so when the king gripped her hips to pound into her sweet spot. The frames of the bed trembled beneath their activity. The legs have broken not long ago, unable to hold the couple's carnal desire for each other. It wasn't long until the both of them reached their climax. May was first, clamping Drew's member firmly with her walls. Drew came next, filling her with his juices.

May exhaled as Drew settled beside her. They weren't as tired as they usually were after their sessions, she noticed. Perhaps it was their hunger for blood that strengthened their vampiric sides, granting them just a little more strength to keep going if they wanted to. May turned to see if Drew wanted to drink her blood. Then faced his wrist while his eyes returned to the ceiling.

"Drew," May pushed his wrist down, "what's wrong?"

Drew blinked and turned to her. "Huh?"

"C'mon, Drew," May propped her head up with an arm. "The sex was great, don't get me wrong; you've just been out of it since we woke up."

She didn't know how she was able to speak so boldly, and neither did he. But May allowed only Drew to display his surprise. Her expression stayed curious, waiting for his answer.

"Why would you think there's something wrong?" Drew propped his head as well, smirking. "Is it wrong to look pensive?"

"Only if you do it as much as you did just now," May remarked. When her lover's smirk didn't fade, she sighed and entwined their fingers. "Please, Drew. I thought we were going to be honest with each other."

Drew's smirk finally went away then and settled into a faint frown. "You're right," he conceded.

He paused when a quick thought came to his head. Then, upon considering it, planted a kiss upon the back of May's hand. "Drink some of my blood now for nourishment," he instructed. "I can't stay too long; I have to save your kingdom, remember?"

May's face fell. Her hand would've too, but Drew gripped it tightly.

"But I'll be back; and when I do, you and I are going to have our first date," he added. "I'll return with good food so we can eat it somewhere nice, and then we'll tell each other everything we know about ourselves. How does that sound?"

May's eyes widened. She had never been on a date before. There might have been many suitors in her kingdom willing to take her to one, but she had never agreed to them. She wanted her first outing to be with someone special. Now that she was given a chance to think about it, Drew was definitely a...special one. And he didn't refuse to share about himself. She just had to wait a little bit, after her kingdom was safe.

"Okay," she nodded.

Drew smiled and planted a deep kiss on her lips. He then thumbed her shoulder tenderly before pushing the blanket off his body.

"Huh?" May blinked as the vampire pushed himself off the mattress. "But, Drew, wait! Don't you want to...you know…"

"What, May?" Drew smirked when he caught her blushing at his toned bottom. "Oh, again? Can't get enough of me, huh?"

May's face immediately turned red. "Drew, no!" she screeched. "I-I didn't m-mean that, y-you pervert! I'm talking about...you know…" she pointed at her neck.

"I get it, May, it's a fetish," Drew pulled a pair of pants over his hips. "I promise, when I return, I'll give you more."

" _Drew_!" May screamed, looking more mortified than she ever had in her life. "Just...ugh! You…"

"Sorry, sorry," Drew apologized as he leaned over the bed.

His claim was half-hearted, and they both knew it. He loved pressing her buttons. Drew tried to come in for a kiss, but May crossed her arms and turned away, indignant. He chuckled and pecked her cheek instead.

"I know what you're talking about," he leaned his forehead against her temple. May frowned but didn't move away. "I'll feed on the animals in the woods. You, on the other hand," he pulled her in, so her lips pressed against his neck, "need breakfast."

May gasped and quickly pulled away. "Wait, but why don't you...want me to...feed you?" she asked as steadily as she could. Then she paused. "Does my blood taste _bad_?"

"No, no," Drew took her hand and pulled her back to him. "I just want to give your perfect skin a break today."

May rolled her eyes. She didn't know what was sillier: the fact that Drew had answered something so cheesy or the fact that he was serious about it. "Okay, then why can't I give _your_ 'perfect skin' a break?"

"Because you can't control your hunger as well as I can," Drew replied. "At least, not yet."

Despite how delicately he had put that, May was still aghast by his answer. She understood his reasoning completely. Evirn. That was the name of the fairy she had attacked, the creature she had almost killed because she couldn't control her bloodlust.

Drew scowled and tugged her wrist. "Hey."

When May didn't look up, he tilted her head up with a finger.

"Remember our goal," he reminded. "If we break the curse, neither you nor I will have to deal with this hunger again. So stay strong, okay? I'll be back soon for our date."

The last sentence was to disengage the princess from her thoughts. It had worked, somewhat. Drew felt her relax enough under his touch to pull her back to his shoulder.

"We'll get through this, May," he muttered into her ear. "But for now, I need you to be full until tonight."

Drew smirked when he felt her puff against his skin. Then, in reluctant submission, his lover started to nibble.

~.~

 _Drew and Harley fled until they were about half a mile from the castle. Once behind a large boulder, Drew sunk to the ground in weariness and looked at the infant. Harley was far too young to understand the situation. All he knew was that he was having a fun adventure with an amazing friend._

 _The prince made sure that the younger child was safe before rising back to his feet. His goal was to get away from his parents. What to do after was still a mystery. But he knew that the kids couldn't stay in the woods forever. They had to find a haven soon. It was getting dark, and the wilderness that filled him with excitement earlier that day now filled him with fear._

 _Then, almost out of nowhere, Damon emerged to stand beside him. Drew was stunned by his sudden presence, but his father only shrugged and leaned against the boulder._

 _"You didn't think you inherited your rambunctiousness from your mother, did you?" the king inquired._

 _Drew grunted but remained in place. He was sour to be found so quickly but afraid to flee again._

 _"Listen, Andrew," Damon sighed. "I know you want a sibling. Your mother and I have tried to give you a brother or a sister, believe me, we did. But since you're the only bundle of joy we're going to have, we want to give the best to you. I hope you understand that."_

 _Drew kicked the dirt beneath his feet but said nothing. Harley was still cradled in his arms, curious to know what was happening._

 _"Bet Harley will never know what that feels like," Drew muttered, "to have parents that give him the best."_

 _Damon crossed his arms. "We'll make sure that he does."_

 _"Yeah, because you're not_ really _good parents," Drew remarked. "You're sending him away to real parents because you're_ not _real parents! You never let me have fun, and when I finally gain a friend, you want to take him away from me!"_

 _The king's eyebrows furrowed. His son's defiance should've been expected at that age, but Damon couldn't deny that his words still hurt. He really did want to give the best to his son, despite what Drew had said. But he hadn't, apparently, because he and his wife wouldn't let Drew keep a stranger in their home._

 _"Tell me, son," Damon knelt down. "What is it about this child that made you decide to keep him?"_

 _"He's not just a child, Dad," Drew tucked Harley protectively to his chest. Then, with a proud huff, declared, "He's my brother."_

 _~.~_

The return to the Fairy Kingdom was easier today than it was yesterday with a carriage from the Vampire Kingdom to take Drew there. Drew could have flown himself like yesterday but wanted to preserve his energy. He wasn't lying to May when he said he could control his vampiric urges, but the hunger pulsing throughout his body was different from what he had experienced before. It wasn't satiated by the animals he had fed on near his and May's retreat. It craved on May's blood alone and would torment him until it got its fill.

Drew groaned and clutched his head. He knew that abstaining from May's blood would cause withdrawals but didn't expect the drawbacks to be that bad so soon. But he was going to fight it. His body could pass out if it wanted to; he would not lay another hungry fang on May.

In less than thirty minutes, the carriage had descended in front of Solidad's castle. Drew staggered out of the vehicle and onto the front steps, where the queen's scarlet skirt glided across the crystals.

"Good morning," Solidad greeted. Her tone was lively but had a trace of apprehension in her voice. Drew hid his discomfort so she wouldn't worry more than she already was. He didn't have to ask to know that she was nervous about meeting Harley.

"Are you ready to do this?" he asked.

"Yes," Solidad assured. "The question is, are _you_? You're weakened by your blood bond with May, and it has been too long since you and Harley hav—"

"Don't worry about me," Drew jerked his head. "Worry about those weeds and their looney gardener."

Solidad pursed her lips but said nothing. It wasn't the first time she had heard the brothers shoot insults about each other. Today, however, was different. The men shared more than animosity toward one another. One misstep and something worse than words could turn the desert into a battlefield.

As discussed, the Fairy Queen and Vampire King boarded Solidad's carriage and took off into the sky. The weather today was pleasant. The skies were clear, and the sunlight was gentle. Solidad hummed in delight and grinned at her companion.

"So how is May doing?" she asked. "Is she okay with you leaving her alone like this?"

"Well it's to protect her kingdom, so there isn't much she can complain about," Drew answered. Solidad displayed curiosity, but he refused to disclose much else.

"How about you?" the queen tilted her head. "Are _you_ okay with leaving her alone like this?"

Drew crossed his arms. "No," he admitted, "but I have to learn to. She agreed to marry me out of her own personal choice but only if we learn to be honest with each other. If she told me she would take care of herself when I leave, I have to trust that she can."

Solidad grinned. "How sweet. I never thought you would ever make an effort to seal a commitment with one woman."

Drew rolled his eyes but understood why she said that. He hadn't always been the committal type, vampire or mortal. Something had to be really special to get him to settle down. As it turned out, May was one of them. He knew that, and Solidad knew that.

"Wait a minute," Solidad pointed. "Aren't you already married? Marriage is the union of two souls into one, and you and May have definitely united when you performed the blood bond."

"It only applies as long as we're vampires," Drew informed. "Once May and I break the curse, we won't be...bonded anymore."

The queen crossed her arms. "I see. I'm guessing this gives you mixed feelings about breaking the curse?"

"I definitely want to get rid of the curse. There's no question about that," Drew stated. "I...just hope May would still be there when it's gone."

"That's why you're trying so hard to please her," Solidad concluded, a smile spreading across her face again. Then it faltered. "As much as I want to say it might be because you're learning to love her, I can't dismiss the possibility that she's just making you feel less lonely. I don't mean to offend you, Drew. I just don't want you to be...misled."

Drew scowled but said nothing. There was nothing else to be said. He hadn't loved nor been loved for centuries, yet for some odd reason, that started to bother him. Perhaps the curse was already fading on its own; he didn't know. There were so many things he didn't know. Did he care about May because she meant a lot to him or was it because of Solidad's reason, which was that it was due to loneliness?

That was another thing he would discover tonight on his date with May. They both had a lot to figure out, and it would do some good to talk about it.

"Anyway," Solidad sat back against the cushions of her seat, "I've been thinking about my departure for a while now."

Drew narrowed his eyes. "Are you talking about your death?"

"I didn't want to be morbid," the queen tilted her head, "but, yes, I am talking about the day I die."

Drew crossed his arms. "When is it?"

"When I turn 50, of course," Solidad answered. "I'm 48 now, so I have about two more years left. But we both know how quickly time flies. Why? Are you going to miss me?"

She was only half-joking to lighten the mood, but Drew was unaffected. He expressed the same dazed look May had witnessed that morning, but directed at the floor of the carriage. Solidad frowned and took his hand.

"I know you're afraid of being alone, but you don't have to be," she told him. "We're currently on our way to your brother, someone capable of living as long as you do and has the love I _promise_ you he still has if you just let him give it to you. Just open your arms to him, Drew. Maybe it's _his_ love that can save you."

Drew took his hand back. His expression was becoming sour as he glared out the window. Solidad knew then that their conversation was finished. Despite having an irrational disdain for the relative, Drew had never expressed how and why he had grown to hate his brother. At least Harley was more than happy to share his perspective on the matter.

Nevertheless, the queen didn't want to end their discussion and end it on a bitter note. She wanted to talk to Drew for as long as she could. They didn't know how Drew started to regain his mortality, but Solidad liked to think it was because her companionship was reteaching him how to let people in. Once Drew lost that friendship, what would happen then? Would his progress be reversed? Would he go back to being a monster?

Solidad bit the skin behind her lip. There had to be someone else for Drew when she departed from that world. If Drew refused to have Harley back in his life, then the only other option was…

"May," she whispered, catching his attention, "how are things going with you two?"

Drew crossed his arms. "We're doing well," he answered cautiously. "As I've said, she had agreed to marry me out of her own personal choice but only if we're honest with each other. So I proposed that we have our first date tonight after all this was over."

Solidad's eyes immediately lit up. "Oh that's wonderful!" she sat at the edge of her seat. "If there is anything I can do to help, please say so."

"Actually," Drew slowly raised his gaze, "I do need a few tips."

With that, he and Solidad engaged in an in-depth conversation about dating. Drew had never been the courting type. He had never been the type to accept advice either, which was why his fairy companion was more than eager to divulge what she knew to him. Things had definitely not gone in the direction the king had foreseen, and were still going somewhere he couldn't see nor prepare for. Nevertheless, Drew had nothing much to complain. Those past few days might have kept giving him one problem after another, but at least they also came with solutions.

With the help of the beacon disguised as a broach Solidad had gifted to Harley, the carriage eventually slowed down to what looked like a thorny dark green sea. The sea halted its movements at the sight of the vehicle and surrounded it upon landing. To a bird flying by, the carriage looked like a tiny dot on a green canvas.

The cactus demons screeched in delight as Solidad stepped onto the desert. The queen greeted them with an apprehensive smile and blocked the exit behind her.

"Hello, everyone," she waved courteously. "May I speak to your father?"

The demons practically hopped in their spots and created a path leading to Harley's hut. Everyone waited for Harley to exit and welcome Solidad in glory, but he didn't. Instead, he exited his abode slowly and glared at his visitors. He already knew who else was in Solidad's carriage before that person emerged. As soon as the demons saw that person as well, they hissed and lunged.

"Harley!" Solidad extended her arms in front of Drew.

A burst of fire sparked behind her. Solidad turned around, wondering where the sudden warmth had originated, and saw that Drew had a flame ignited in his palm.

"No, Solidad, go ahead and let them," he waved the element between his fingers. "See what it's like to be in a sea of ashes."

"Drew, stop it! Both of you, stop it!" Solidad ordered. "Harley, come out here right now!"

The cactus demons parted once again to make way for Harley. The wizard was angry. Very, very angry.

 _"You."_

Solidad shot Drew an expectant glare, and Drew put away his fire. He pocketed his hands and leered at Harley, who had flashed to stand directly in front of them.

"Why are _you_ here?" Harley hissed.

"We heard about your predicament and would like to help," Solidad stepped forward to return his attention to her. "Thanatos seems to be taking lives again; so to protect you and your cacti, I'd like you all to move to my kingdom."

Harley's eyes narrowed and turned to her. He scrutinized her up and down, no longer as warm as he was when he first saw her carriage.

"Then why is _he_ here?" he pointed, his finger barely passing Drew's personal space. "No, wait. I know why," he leaned over to the vampire and sneered. "You heard that I was heading to the Petalburg Kingdom, didn't you? The precious kingdom of your latest conquest."

"Watch your mouth," Drew's eyes flashed red.

"Harley," Solidad stepped in between them. "That's not why he's he—"

"Of course, that's why he's here! Why else would he be here?" Harley snorted. "He shut me out for millennia, and all it took to finally crawl back to me was a threat to his little princess's kingdom? Huh. If I knew this, I would've done this a long time ago. But I don't want you back in my life anymore, Drew. I want to hurt you."

Drew clenched his fists.

"And if tearing apart that kingdom is what it takes to break you, then I will slaughter every one of its citizens and _bathe_ in their suffering," Harley threatened, his expression darkening. "And when people ask me why I would do such a horrible thing, I'll tell them that I learned it from my _dearest_ brother. After all, who knows more about delivering suffering than you?"

Solidad grunted and was about to protest, but Drew gently pushed her to the side and walked around her. She knew then by that silent motion that she was no longer a part of this. The brothers had to handle this on their own.

"You must think you're so clever," Drew mocked. "Don't you?"

"The cleverest," the wizard returned, feeling haughty. "Truth is true, hon. So I suggest you don't get me angrier than you already have."

But to his growing anger, Drew did. By smirking.

"Okay, then let me put it this way," he began. "I stationed an army more than happy to turn your weeds into dust in Petalburg. If you and your demons so much as _breathe_ the air in that kingdom, then my soldiers and I will slaughter the only creeps that will ever consider you family. Then you will be unloved, just like me."

Harley gasped and stepped back. Solidad's jaw dropped in horror and disbelief.

"You're right about one thing: I do deliver suffering better than anyone else in this world," Drew continued. "So if _you_ make _me_ angrier than you already have, you're going to get the worst of it."

Harley screamed and ignited a flame in his hand. But then Drew grabbed him by the throat. The wizard clawed and gasped for air as the vampire crushed his windpipe.

"That's enough!"

Drew dropped man onto the dirt when Solidad shoved Harley off of him. He stared blankly as Solidad treated Harley's throat with her magic.

"Are you okay?" Solidad asked Harley.

"She's n-not going to be with you forever, you know!" Harley choked out to Drew, not Solidad. "You're a beast, a _demon_! Solidad won't live long enough to leave you, but that bimbo of yours will!"

Drew lit another ball of fire, but Solidad quickly moved in front of Harley to prevent him from launching it.

"I said stop it!" she yelled. "Drew, go ahead and take my carriage back to wherever you want to go. I'll go back to my kingdom with Harley."

The vampire snorted and re-entered the vehicle. "Fine by me."

Once the carriage flew away, Harley raised a hand to his neck and growled. Drew might have gotten away now; but one way or another, he was going to pay.

~.~

The princess blinked as a glittering carriage descended from the sky. It was pulled by majestic white pegasi, who bowed reverently when she stood before them. The princess raised an eyebrow and tugged the skirt of her formal peach gown. She had been instructed to be ready at sunset, which was now. Was this supposed to be her ride?

As if to answer her question, the coachman of the vehicle hopped onto the grass to open the carriage door for her. He was a small fairy dressed similarly to the transportation. To May's confusion, he avoided eye contact.

Perhaps he is afraid of me, May thought as she boarded the vehicle. Her attack on the other male fairy had returned to her mind, and she found herself suffocating in guilt. She was a vampire now, a dark creature that siphoned the lives of others to sustain her own. Fear was a normal response to her. That was, until the curse was lifted.

May gripped the cushions of her seat as the carriage thrust into the air. She felt the vehicle lift from the ground and tremble at the howling winds. It didn't help that she was alone in the cabin and had no idea where it would take her. Her only sense of control was seeing the sky through the small window. She watched the pinkish-purple skies turn dark blue with snow-like stars.

Soon enough, May detected a surge of life. There was only one place she knew that could contain such life, and it was the last place she wanted to return to so soon: Fairy Kingdom.

She braced herself as the carriage descended onto the smooth ground. When the princess was escorted outside, her eyes were treated to a glorious sight. The flat surface her transportation had landed on was white marble. Everything else was a field of grass glimmering with flowers, glitter, and moisture. The trees surrounding her showered pink petals, with many forming borders to a long, deep blue river.

"Oh goodness," May cupped her mouth as she stepped onto the grass. "It's so beautiful."

Her sandals were flat enough for her feet to brush the greenery. She lifted her skirt not just so that she wouldn't accidentally step on it but also so it wouldn't obstruct her view of the fields. May had never seen such beauty in her life. Had she somehow died without knowing? How else could she have arrived at what was akin to perfection?

"Hello, May."

May gasped and turned to her right. Drew had also dressed for the occasion, downing a navy suit and dark gray dress shoes. He held a rose between his fingers before raising it to his nose. He inhaled the flower's aroma, peered at May through the petals, and then extended it to her.

May blushed and accepted it. "For me?"

"Perhaps," Drew teased, causing her to pout. He chuckled and took her hand. "You look beautiful."

May bit her lip and looked at their entwined fingers. "Thanks...you look good too." The gravity of the situation was weighing upon her. Not only was she having her first date, she was having it with the most attractive man she had ever met. Knowing how good he was in bed and that she might be reminded again tonight didn't help at all.

"Ready?" Drew invited.

"Yes," May squeaked.

The king smiled and pulled her toward their first stop.


	11. Chapter 11, The Change

Yes! The latest chapter has finally arrived. So sorry that it took so long. A lot of personal things happened over these past months, and I didn't want any of that to affect my stories negatively. I really hope today's read will be worth the wait. I was patient in making sure it's the best that it can be.

Songs for Inspiration:  
"You are My Sunshine" arranged by Youtuber, salcido678  
"Across the Blood Water" by Two Steps from Hell  
"Fire and the Flood" by Vance Joy  
"Blood and Stone" by Audiomachine  
"Crossing Destiny" by Audiomachine  
"Helios" by Audiomachine  
"Your Call" by Secondhand Serenade  
"Into Darkness" by Two Steps from Hell

* * *

Love is a choice, and so is everything else you do with it.

* * *

 _It was two hours after sunset when Aldris watched her husband and her child enter their living room. Her countenance, which was crinkled with worry, brightened at the sight of them. As angry as she was at her son for fleeing, no amount of ire could relieve her concern for his well-being. She didn't want to scold him for his rash actions nor intended to. As long as her son was back, his safety would be all that she would ask for._

 _But then she saw who was still in his arms._

 _"What?" her green eyes narrowed. "That baby is still with you? I thought you'd sent it to the orphanage!"_

 _Drew scowled and tucked Harley under his chin. Damon flattened his lips before placing a hand on his son's shoulder._

 _"You and Harley go on and have dinner," he softly requested. "I'm going to speak with your mother."_

 _Drew grinned and turned to the infant. "Come on, Harley," he coaxed. He shot his father a knowing look before running out of the room._

 _"There is nothing to speak about," Aldris stated as Damon pulled her toward one of the room's couches. "We agreed that, that child is going to an orphanage, so that is that."_

 _"Let's reevaluate our decision for a moment," Damon sat them down. "Not only have we failed to give Andrew a sibling, but we've also been so protective of him that we don't allow him to make friends with other children. Our child is still a child, Aldris. Prince or not, he still wants to have fun and have playmates to interact with."_

 _"We are not an_ orphanage _, Damon!" Aldris reminded. "We are the family solely responsible for keeping this kingdom alive. If our people see that we put our son before the nation, then they will lose faith in our leadership!"_

 _"But isn't that more of a reason to keep Harley with Andrew?" Damon remarked. "If we neglect our own son, then how much more with our people?"_

 _Aldris gaped. Then, after regaining herself, crossed her arms. "We are_ not _neglecting our son."_

 _"Our son is unhappy with us, Aldris," Damon told her. "He would rather run off into the woods than stay in the castle if it means to keep the first person he has learned to care about. We are expecting so much of him, Aldris, and all he asks for in return is a brother. Is that too much to give him?"_

 _"You're spoiling him," Aldris growled. "We are the king and queen_ and _his parents, Damon! We have to lay down the law."_

 _"And then what?" Damon remarked. "Wake up one day to find that our son has run away again? Andrew may be a child, Aldris, but he is a smart and fearless one. I only found him so quickly today because he was unprepared. What would he do if next time, he is?"_

 _Aldris's expression fell before she stood and started pacing._ _"What if he brings more babies from the woods?" she asked. "If the kingdom finds out that we're taking in all the babies Andrew adopts, then we would have hundreds, maybe even_ thousands _of neglected children alone in the jungle waiting for us to take them in!"_

 _"We'll speak to him about that," her husband assured. "I'm sure we can convince Andrew to stop taking in more children if he can keep this one. Aldris."_

 _The queen halted when he clasped her hand._

 _"We can lose the kingdom and maybe even our lives, but we_ cannot _lose our son," Damon told her. "We are a family first and a monarch second. Drew_ will _be a great king, Aldris. We just have to have faith in him first."_

 _His wife's shoulders slumped. She never liked being wrong but never liked being on the wrong path either. Fortunately, she had a loving husband that understood._

 _Damon pulled her into his arms and pressed her forehead against his lips._

 _In the hallway outside of the chamber, Drew was tightly hugging his brother while rocking him side to side. He and the infant didn't head toward the dining room as Drew had pretended. His parents were discussing whether he would lose his brother or not, after all, so he had to hear the answer himself. Fortunately, he heard one that satisfied him._

 _"Hear that, Harley?" Drew softly cheered. "You're going to stay after all!"_

 _Harley didn't understand why the prince was so happy but gifted the boy a toothless grin._

 _"I don't need other kids as Mom said," Drew continued. "As long as I have you, I'll have everything. And after today, I'm never going to let you go."_

~.~

"I don't care if Thanatos is flittering around; I'm going to kill that bastard."

Solidad sighed as Harley sipped his tea from across the table. She and the wizard were in the dining room of Harley's hut, which was heading toward Fairy Kingdom. The journey will take about six hours to complete through their method of travel. Not that anyone minded. Harley had always enjoyed Solidad's company, and Solidad managed to excuse herself from her royal duties that day to care for a more pressing matter.

"You two have to get along with each other," the queen told him. "Both of you know who you're dealing with more than I do. You should know better than to make enemies of your greatest ally."

"He is _not_ my ally!" Harley hissed. "He is just an enemy to me as Thanatos is. In case you have forgotten, Solidad, that leech nearly killed me."

"He wasn't really going to go through with it," Solidad crossed her arms.

"Of course, he was!" Harley remarked. "The man and his army have slaughtered millions of people for centuries to stay alive; why not choke the man he had tossed aside for no reason at all?"

Solidad flinched when Harley swept their wares off the table. The ceramic shattered loudly onto the stained floors, pieces of them falling into the unattended cracks.

"I'm sorry for what he did to you, Harley," the queen whispered, flinching again when the wizard glared at her. "I can never understand the pain Drew put you through."

"That's because he hasn't done the same to you yet," Harley told her. "I told you not to love him, darling, and I'm proud to see that you don't. But you do care about him a lot and have hope that he will change, and that's what disappoints me. I expected more from you, Solidad."

"He will change, Harley; he already has!" Solidad insisted. "May, the woman he's engaged to—she's doing things to him. Amazing things that not even I can do. You should've seen Drew when he was asking me _advice_ , out of all things, on what to do on his first date with May. I've never seen him so excited, so...happy to be alive. If she keeps this up, she could actually... _make_ him alive."

As Solidad's azure eyes filled with stars, Harley's filled with fire. Then, an idea came into his mind.

And a smirk stretched his features.

"Change of plans, darling," Harley stood from his seat. "My demons and I will not be traveling to your kingdom anymore."

The Fairy Queen's mouth gaped, as she stood from her chair. She watched Harley walk to the center of his hut and wondered what he was plotting. "Why?"

"Let's just say I'm getting closer to finally getting what I want," Harley responded, his back turned to her. "I should thank you, darling. Your generous words have helped me get there."

Solidad gasped and ran toward him. But his right hand was raised before she could move. At a snap of his fingers, Harley, his demons, and the hut itself have disappeared into thin air. All that remained for the queen to see after her feet landed on sand was a vast, empty desert.

"No," Solidad shook her head. "Harley!" she called out. " _Harley_!"

~.~

 _"And," Harley smoothed the fabric on his brother's shoulders, "done!"_

 _Drew turned to the tall mirror behind him and smirked. The coat Harley had picked for him was violet, like the younger boy's hair, only darkened with an earthy undertone. It suited his attire well, which was a black turtleneck, moss green pants, and black boots._

 _"Not bad," Drew complimented._

 _"Have I ever given you a reason to doubt?" the eleven-year-old snorted. "This magic of mine isn't just good for spells, you know."_

 _Drew smirked and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, Harley."_

 _"Yeah, yeah," Harley brushed off but allowed the eighteen-year-old's hand to stay. "It'll be wasted on that latest girl you're seeing. What's her name again? Dolly? Penny?"_

 _"Amy," Drew corrected before noting the glint in Harley's eyes. The boy had a darkness in him fueled by jealousy and envy, and Drew was well aware of that. Even at a young age, the purple-haired wizard displayed animosity toward any individual that captured Drew's attention for more than a second. It wasn't a coincidence that Harley stopped protesting about his brother's dates in the same year he gained the ability to cast spells. Amy was, what, the_ fourth _lady Drew was seeing, and she would very likely be scared off by "unfortunate incidents" as the previous women have._

 _Nevertheless, Drew accepted and, at times, even welcomed his brother's possessiveness. He was only courting those women due to the enforced tradition of marriage. He was not planning on ever taking a woman seriously anytime soon._

 _He pocketed his hands and ambled toward the window of his dressing room._

 _"Ever wondered why I chose to adopt you, Harley?" Drew asked. "On the same day I met you, no less?"_

 _Harley frowned and approached him. "No."_

 _"Because I loved you that day," Drew informed. "I didn't need to know you for a lifetime to do that. I just needed to choose to."_

 _Harley smiled and looked out the same window he was. The view displayed the same forest where he and his brother first met. It had aged considerably, with many trees discoloring and the sounds of the animals changing every year, but what it represented was everlasting: their beginning._

 _"I love you too, Drew," Harley told him, "and I'll choose to every day."_

 _Drew simpered and embraced him with an arm. He combed Harley's short purple locks with his fingers softly before resting a hand beside his neck._

 _"I don't think I'll ever make the same decision with these women," Drew confessed. "They're not terrible people; they just…don't click."_

 _Harley huffed. "You don't need them, you know," he raised his nose in disgust. "Why rule with a queen when you can rule with your brother?"_

 _Drew looked up for a moment, seeming to consider his words. "That's...not a bad idea."_

 _"Of course, it isn't! I thought of it," Harley smirked. "Who cares what the world thinks anyway? No matter what you do, they'll always think you're a freak," he paused, his gaze filling with desolation, before continuing, "They'll always have something bad to say, no matter what you do, so you might as well do what you want."_

 _Drew stared at the clouds. Harley might be young, but he had gone through enough strife to mature and learn things children weren't supposed to know yet. He was the closest friend Drew ever had and probably would ever have. He would be the only one that understood._

 _"You're right," Drew nodded, causing his brother to look up at him again. "I only wanted to do what I wanted to do a long time ago but lost that part of myself sometime along the way. Well, now it's time to regain it. I'll end things with Amy, confront Mother, and rule this kingdom with you."_

 _Harley gasped, "Really?"_

 _"Yes," Drew confirmed. "We're going to rule this kingdom together, Harley, and nothing, not even the world, will tear us apart."_

 _The wizard's face brightened. Joy overflowed his veins as energy flashed at the tips of his fingers._

 _"Promise?" he asked._

 _Drew grinned. "Promise."_

 _Harley hopped into the air, the static of his energy tickling the air for a moment, before leaping into Drew's arms. Drew pulled him closer to his chest, leaned his head against his, and smiled._

~.~

"This place is so beautiful," May marveled at the scenery around them. Two fingers squeezed Drew's in one hand and twirled her gifted rose in another. A flurry of petals flew closer toward them, sprinkling her chocolate hair with pink commas.

Drew glanced her way and simpered, memorizing the way her eyes twinkled in the moonlight. The meadow seemed to return her high favor, dancing around her form as if to worship her. But it was hard to focus on them all. Drew's vision occasionally blurred, and his carefully coordinated steps steered him from his path until he managed to redirect himself before May could notice.

"How was your confrontation with the wizard?"

Drew cursed to himself.

"Does he still intend to hurt my kingdom?"

The king was hoping their moment would last much longer, distancing May from the grueling realities beyond their paradise. But his lover couldn't be deterred for long. She was a princess first, his lover second. She would always place her duties and her people first.

"No," Drew answered as steadily as he could, silently grieving for their deceased tranquility. "I've redirected his ill-intent so he would no longer harm your kingdom."

Drew's consciousness was so hazy; his peripheral vision didn't catch May's eyes narrow at him.

"What did you redirect it to?"

Drew remained silent because he didn't want to answer, but also because he might collapse. His appliance was working too well. He could feel his body withering at its repercussions, desperately yearning for the strength it needed to fight back. Now that its source of strength was right in front of it, it was tearing down all resistance to sink its teeth into it.

Drew would rather perish than let that happen.

"Drew?"

His body recoiled when it felt a familiar hand grasp his shoulder. The appendage was so small, fragile, yet confident it could settle the pandemonium pulsing through every part of his being. Drew could barely see May now, only a faded brown and peach blur that was drawing closer and closer.

The king's knees have collapsed beneath him before the rest of his body plummeted toward the ground. He only fell for a second before being seized by thin, strong arms. He heard a muffled cry of what sounded like his name.

That was when his fangs elongated.

Drew stiffened before flailing in his captor's hold. It was his last attempt to resist before his instincts could take over. May, he thought. What would happen to her if he lost control? What would happen if that sinister side of him emerged and—no! He wouldn't even think of it. This was a fight he couldn't lose!

But his vampiric and what he was sure was also his survival instincts started taking over. His hands gripped wrists smaller than his palms, while his fangs inched to dig themselves deep into the wrists' soft skin. Drew thrust backward, away from who could soon be his victim, and momentarily felt himself detach. This was her chance, he thought. This was May's chance to get away before he could lay a hand on her.

To his shock and dread, his body was being pulled forward. No, he shook his head. He weakly tried to get away, but the force pulling him in was too powerful.

May, Drew mentally croaked, I'm so sorry.

His fangs pierced flesh. Before Drew could stop himself, he started pulling the body against him closer and clutched it so it wouldn't escape. It was wrong, Drew thought. But his body continued to betray him. He was overflowing with life and energy. Too much, he thought. Whatever he was feeding off of was going to die.

Then, almost immediately, his body began to deflate. He faintly detected a soft trace of pain as his being started being robbed of the very thing it was robbing. Whatever Drew was biting was biting back.

The king groaned when he felt two sharp objects exit from the left side of his neck. At first, he thought they were parts of his neck bone. Then, when his body only felt liberated, he realized that the objects were fangs. May's fangs.

The king gasped and desperately refocused on his surroundings. The first thing he saw when everything became clear was blood. There was blood on the grass, blood on the petals, and blood on a peach gown, brown hair, and pearly skin. When Drew looked up, he came face to face with May's ruby eyes. They were sharp from hunger and something he had yet to identify. Glancing lower, he spotted the source of the familiar scent his nose had detected: his blood trickling out of May's lips.

"No," Drew stumbled back. He fell onto the grass a few times but staggered until he was back on his feet.

May's eyes raised to him and widened.

"I'm sorry," Drew quivered.

After two steps back, the king flashed out of sight.

~.~

When Harley returned to view, he had appeared beside Mortem Temple. The establishment was just as he remembered it: worn down and lifeless. He made sure to leave his cacti somewhere far from where he was. They could die from being in such a horrible place. Their father, on the other hand, would be unharmed. The wizard had been untouched by death for almost as long as their realm had existed.

And after regular visits to Death himself, Harley was sure he wouldn't be terminated just yet.

Harley lifted the skirt of his robe before ascending the steps leading to the temple. As expected, the seal keeping the large concrete doors was broken, allowing a small opening to unleash a deathly aura that abducted lives farther than the mortal eyes could perceive.

Harley phased through them without an effort and continued inside. He wasn't taken aback at the voice that boomed within what looked to be a throne room.

"Back so soon?" Thanatos asked from his stone chair. "I assumed you needed more time to study."

"I didn't," Harley grunted. "As soon as Drew heard that I was going to that princess's kingdom, he immediately tried to pop my head off my neck."

Thanatos smirked as the wizard fumed before him. Harley's fists shook at his sides while stark waves of energy pulsed throughout his being.

"Does he know about our relationship?" Thanatos asked.

"No," Harley gritted, "he and Solidad still think I'm running away from you."

Thanatos straightened his posture and looked up. The man before him was seething with rage. If only Harley knew the significance of that anger, its role on his life itself.

"You told me we have nothing to worry about, Harley," Thanatos reminded. "So why are you claiming that Drew retaliated against your threat? Are you saying he cares about that princess?"

"He drew fire on me...repeatedly!" Harley yelled. "His mortal side had emerged, but only to defend that skank from me!"

He screamed and shot a blast of fire on the room's left wall. If he were in any other building, the establishment would set ablaze. But he was in Death's temple. His symbol of life disintegrated like a cloud of dust.

"It sounds like he really cares for this woman," Thanatos commented. "I may dare say he's starting to love her."

"That's impossible!" Harley spat. "Drew can never love someone as a vampire. And even as a mortal, he would never take women seriously. Especially if it's one he's just known for a few days."

"But didn't it only take a second for Drew to adopt you?" Thanatos reminded. "And he told you too, did he not? That a person doesn't need time to love someone. Just the choice to."

"Shut up!" Harley concealed his ears.

"You may not care how you were able to live this long, Harley, but you've wondered why Drew abandoned you," Thanatos pressed on. "And the answer is the same: he chose to."

Harley screamed and launched a fireball at him. Thanatos didn't even move to evade it. The flames collided with his face and engulfed his being. When they vanished, not even a strand of hair was out of place.

"You're obsolete, Harley," Thanatos shook his head. "Drew cares more about that princess now than he cares about you. You may not be able to feel his emotions like I can, but you can definitely see them. If you really want to know just how much your brother has betrayed you, just see the way he looks at her."

Harley gritted his teeth and turned away. "I don't need to prove anything," he stated. "I don't even know what I'm doing here. I don't even care anymore. Just stay out of my way, Thanatos, and we won't have a problem."

The wizard kept his eyes straight as he marched out of the temple. When he exited, he was greeted with almost a mist of stars piercing through the sky. That didn't surprise him. There were more stars near Mortem Temple than anywhere else. Why? Because there were more dead bodies there than anywhere else, and stars were just appealing corpses.

Speaking of corpses, Harley raised a hand, it wouldn't hurt to see how a potential one was doing.

~.~

Exploring the paradise gifted by the Fairy Kingdom would have been magical if May didn't have to search for her date. How could something that started out so well drastically change for the worse in a matter of seconds? Her kingdom had been salvaged by the baneful hand of a wizard, which made an already perfect night absolutely splendid. Now she had to know who would be the wizard's next victim. And, of course, what had happened to her lover.

She was still trying to process exactly what had happened. Drew had seemed fine at first. Then he began to lose himself, almost as if he had been drugged, and desperately tried to get out of her grasp. Then, before May could even decide to get offended, his fangs elongated, and his hands struggled between pushing her away and pulling her toward his teeth. He was hungry, May deduced, and that was why she coaxed him to drink from her herself.

What she didn't expect was how hungry he was. He drank her roughly and quickly as if every drop mattered but not enough to ignore many that leaked from his mouth. May had started to become lightheaded and tried to get away; but Drew's grip was so strong, so desperate, her body acted on its own. As if a survival instinct had been triggered, May pulled Drew in and took back the essence he had exceeded his right to take. The king and princess were doing the same thing then, being both a victim and a threat to each other. It was horrifying, to say the least. It was no wonder Drew had run away. May herself didn't know what to do after such an incident.

Not anymore, May scanned a field of rose bushes before proceeding up a hill. The sight at the top, which was of a large lake twinkling with stars, would have taken her breath away if she hadn't spotted Drew crouching at the bottom of the hill. The beauty of the waters didn't seem to delight him. Upon closer inspection, May found that he was glaring at the dark blue surface, angry and ashamed of what he was seeing but punishing himself by not looking away. May sighed and trod until she stood beside him. She crossed her arms when he continued not to acknowledge her.

"You don't have to be ashamed, you know," she assured. "If you wanted to drink my blood, then just ask. That's why we made a blood bond in the first place."

Drew's eyes widened. They then rose to stare at her in disbelief.

"How could you say that?" he asked. "After what I've done to you..."

"You wouldn't hurt me on purpose, Drew," May told him. "Besides, I bit you back."

Drew's jaws clenched. "Why would you think I would never hurt you?"

"Would you?" May dared.

Drew finally stood then, eyeing her with vulnerability so exposed, May's expression softened into one of pity.

"No."

May smiled and grasped each of his hands with hers. Drew finally appreciated their surroundings then, but only because they made the woman before him so much more beautiful. Even when her hair, face, and dress were drenched in blood, she looked like an angel. His bloody angel.

What was she doing with a demon like himself?

"But I can hurt you, May," Drew told her. "Maybe someday I will unintentionally like I just did earlier. Doesn't that bother you?"

"You only became that hungry because you didn't feed on me this morning," May pointed out. "And why are you expecting me to abandon you for acting on your vampiric instincts? It's not like I didn't know I was dating a vampire. And I'm a vampire too, remember? I'm more than capable of defending myself."

Drew responded with a small, sad smile. She was right. He might be a monster, but so was she. An even more powerful one than he too. If he were to harm her in any way, he would die at her hand, not the other way around.

"What did you do to yourself?" May neared him. "Why were you in so much pain?"

"I...drank a drop of a deadly essence hoping it would subdue me and my hunger for you," Drew supplied. "But it started killing me quickly, and my body instinctively yearned for your blood to keep me alive."

"I don't understand," May's eyes narrowed. "You're expected to drink my blood; you've done it before. Why resist now?"

"Because I'm scared to lose you and...I just don't know what I'm doing anymore," Drew confessed. "You care about me, do everything you can to understand and be there for me. But do you know what happened to the last person who did all of those things? He's spending every second of his life trying to kill me. And why wouldn't he? If you really knew who I am and what I've done, you would turn on me too!"

"That's why we're here, Drew," May reminded, silencing the man that didn't notice how anxious he was becoming. "I want to stay by your side, I really do, but if I'm going to do that, you can't keep pushing me away. I have to know exactly what it is you're afraid of me learning so you can know for sure if I would stay with you or not. I'm taking that risk too, you know. I'm also afraid you'd leave me if you discover the less appealing sides of me. But that's the risk we both have to take because that's what people who want to be together do: learn who their partners are and accept them every day."

Drew allowed his mouth to fall, stupefied. He had lived for millennia yet never entertained such a perspective until that night. Perhaps if he hadn't focused on pushing others away so much, he would have found a way to keep them instead.

"Do you?" May asked. "Do you want to be with me?"

Drew finally closed his mouth then and laughed. "Yes, May," he answered. "More than anything in the world."

He swept her into his arms and pressed their lips together. He encircled her waist and spun her, grinning at the sound of her squeal and the curve of her lips against his. He felt something left his system just then and replaced itself with something heavy. But it was a delightful sense of heaviness as if he had regained something he had lost a long time ago.

May squeaked as Drew started pulling them into the lake. The waters were cold, and she automatically pressed herself closer to him for warmth. She was more amused than irritated by his gesture, however. So much so, she had neglected to realize that being cold was something only the living did.

"Drew!" she lightly patted his shoulder. The king wasn't stopping. The water was up to her waist now. "What are you doing?"

"I'm tired of the taste of blood," Drew stroked the sides of her arm. "I want to taste _you_ instead."

May's mouth had parted in surprise before Drew's stole it once again. She giggled and encircled her arms around his neck. Forget the cold, she thought. She could always rely on Drew to keep things hot.

From a distance, behind one of the many trees surrounding the lake, Harley witnessed the couple kissing in the waves. When the lovers pulled back, they looked into each other's eyes so deeply, the wizard could feel the intensity of their gazes from where he stood. He had seen Drew with many women but not once had he ever seen him look at them like he was looking at May.

"You know," May shifted under Drew's gaze. She too detected his yearning for her and felt shy to be the subject of such fierce ardor. "It's kind of hard to move in this dress."

"The answer is simple then," the king tugged a string of her dress down her shoulder, "let's take it off."

May's face immediately reddened before flailing against him. "Drew, no!" she gasped. "Not outside! What if someone sees us?"

Drew smirked and gently thumbed her shoulder. He would've displayed indifference and pointed out that they have made love in the open before. But the idea of someone other than himself seeing May naked ignited a possessive instinct he hadn't felt...before. He had lived in envious luxury all of his existence but not once had he been proud and protective to have something as precious as May's intimacy. Only he could glimpse at May's hidden curves and treasures. Only he could hear her moan and scream when he stimulated every part of them. He would grant her this wish to appease her. But that wasn't to say he wouldn't relish the sight of her flustered pout.

"Alright," Drew shrugged. May blinked at his quick submission and then stiffened when she spotted the glint in his eyes. "Let me sweep you off your feet another way."

May squealed when she was lifted out of the water and then over Drew's shoulder. She clutched him as tightly as possible when he spun her around.

"Drew!" she squeaked.

She giggled and laughed as Drew took them across the waters. It was a new and liberating experience to have with him. She didn't just mature and have adult relations with the king; she could also let go and have fun like a child with him too. She knew Drew was feeling the same way when he stood still to simply embrace her. She smiled widely when Drew lowered her to stand before him again.

"Tell me what else makes you happy," he said. "I want to hear you laugh like that every day."

May cupped his face and planted a deep kiss on his lips. "Only if you tell me yours."

As the two shared another kiss, forgetting the world once again, the wizard watching them started to stomp out of their sickening interaction. He wasn't just going to hurt Drew, Harley decided. He was also going to hurt the skank for...doing whatever she was doing to his brother. He had to plan accordingly. If he played his cards right, he would hurt them both so severely, they would be _begging_ Thanatos to take them out of their misery.

Speaking of Thanatos, he could actually serve a purpose to the sorcerer's schemes. Judging by what was happening tonight, the demon of death would have a greater incentive to assist him.

"Enjoy your time while you can, you, filthy leeches," Harley hissed, "because when I'm done with you, the only peace you'll have is in your memories."

~.~

 _Harley's body couldn't stop shaking. Everyone around him in the vast desert was dead or dying. Those who still have their lives fought or fled for them, as pale beasts with red eyes and thorn-like fangs hunted them down one by one. The seventeen-year-old sorcerer continued to tremble but not out of fear. The people who have mocked him, shunned him, and made him into an outcast were finally being slaughtered before his eyes. Harley didn't even care nor wonder why he too wasn't being attacked by the blood-sucking creatures. He was too busy reveling in the fact that justice was finally being served._

 _"Harley."_

 _The wizard gasped in delight and turned around, only to sober at the sight of his caller. Drew, his older brother and newest king of Hendercort, had blood dripping down his...fangs. Fangs like the ones in the beasts draining the lives out of their adversaries. Harley allowed his mouth to fall._

 _"Drew…"_

 _"You're not supposed to be here," Drew scolded. His reddened eyes tried to maintain their glare, but it was hard to do so when all they, and the rest of Drew's body, wanted to hide from Harley's scrutinization. "I told you to stay at the swamps!"_

 _"You didn't tell me that the kingdom was going to be attacked," Harley retorted. "You also didn't tell me that...you were going to be the one attacking it."_

 _"You wouldn't understand," Drew grunted. "That's why I told you to stay away!"_

 _"What would've happened if I listened?" Harley stepped forward. "Would you have told me what you are...what you're doing?"_

 _"You wouldn't understand!" Drew insisted._

 _"You didn't even let me_ try _!" Harley remarked. "I'm your_ brother _, Drew! No matter who you are or what you've done, I'll always be with you. Whether it be a dragon or..."_

 _Drew finally turned away when Harley smiled at him._

 _"A monster," Harley finished. "I'll be with you until the end."_

 _The wizard paused to spread his arms._

 _"You think this is going to scare me?" he continued. "I couldn't be more_ proud _of you, Drew! You're finally standing up to those who slandered us. If turning into a monster is what it takes to do it, then monster away! This is what we have always wanted. Drew, remember? You promised me we would rule the kingdom together. With my powers and the ones you gained, we could rule the world."_

 _He smiled and offered his hand to his brother. With what looked like resignation overcoming Drew's features, Harley was only expectant when Drew lifted one of his hands from his coat._

 _He then gasped when a metal band clasped around his wrist. After the jewelry had emitted a quick flash of light, it shot a pulse of pain so unbearable, Harley screamed before falling to his knees._

 _"Drew!" he yelled. "What is this? What did you do?" When he recognized the band around his wrist, however, the answer was clear._

 _"Harley, I banish you from the Hendercort Kingdom," Drew declared._

 _"No! Drew,_ please _!" Tears welled in Harley's eyes, "You're the only one I have."_

 _Just then, a small portal manifested around Harley. It drew the wizard in like a vacuum, and, before Harley could plead again, Drew and everything else around him vanished into a bright light. The wizard yelped and shielded his eyes. When he freed them, he faced the bottomless pools and the towering thin trees of the swamp._

 _"N-No," Harley stood up. "No!"_

 _He staggered back and searched, but neither Drew nor the red-eyed beasts were present. When he tried to teleport back to them, the band around him flashed, and he was struck with pain that remained with him in the swamp._

 _"No," Harley fell to the ground. Tears streamed down his face as his cries echoed through the shadows. When a moment passed, and no one responded to his weeping, he lifted his head to the skies and screamed._


End file.
